


The Silent Siren

by GlassSerendipity



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: DenNor, F/M, Genderbend, LittleMermaid!AU, Mermaids, fem!denmark
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-23
Updated: 2018-05-21
Packaged: 2018-05-22 19:15:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 23,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6091264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlassSerendipity/pseuds/GlassSerendipity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A prince whose only real interest is mythical creatures sets sail on his twenty-third birthday following rumors of mermaids. A mermaid responsible for dozens of sinking ships falls in love and rescues him from the wreckage after a violent storm. In order to be with him, she gambles her life, her family, and her greatest weapon. Basically, this is a retelling of The Little Mermaid with some fun twists. Some characters are genderbent, and I sometimes use different names. Enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Intro

_I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue_   
_And it's hey to the starboard heave-ho_   
_Look out, lad, a mermaid be waiting for you_   
_In mysterious fathoms below_

It was a clear day on the northern sea. A single ship sailed through the waters away from its port. The breeze caught in a young man's hair as he gazed into the waters. Amoung the hustle and bustle of the ship's crewmen, he stayed relatively still through the rolling course of the ship. His clothes were considerably nicer and cleaner than the majority of those on board, unstained and just now absorbing the scent of the sea. His blond hair still stayed neat despite the tousseling of the air. The voices were boisterous and hearty on board the ship, but this man stayed silent.

"A fine strong wind and a following sea. King Triton must be in a friendly type mood," a sailor called out from up in the mast.

This caught the young man's attention. "King Triton?"

"Why, ruler of the merpeople, lad! Thought every good sailor knew about him," a wisened hand cackled out as he moved supplies around on deck.

The young man opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"Oh my god, do not get him started on merpeople." The voice belonged to a man a little younger than the previous. They bore a striking resemblance to each other, though the younger had darker eyes and lighter hair.

The elder smirked. "I see you're not in a good mood, Emile."

Emile scoffed. "You're one to talk. The only time you aren't skulking around is when you're out at sea."

"Then, I'm afraid that you don't know me very well, little brother." The young man faced the sea once more.

"Ah, does Prince Lukas fancy mermaids as much as he fancies the sea?" the old ship's hand crooned out again.

"Actually..." Prince Lukas turned around and leaned back on the railing. "I've extensively studied all kinds of mythical creatures, merpeople included. For instance, did you know that the first recorded accounts of mermaids we have stem from ancient greek writings? They were referred to as sirens and used their voices to lure people to their deaths. On top of that, this 'King Triton' you referred to was said to be Poseidon's son. Now, if we are to assume that merpeople aren't immortal, I find it highly unlikely that King Triton would still be alive today. It's more plausible that one of his descendants would be ruling the seas. Taking into account all the shipwrecks that have happened in our waters recently involving foreign vessels and witnesses describing what they believe to be a mermaid, it's intriguing to think they might not be as mythical as we previously believed. Tell me, have you ever seen..."

"And that's why I told you not to get him started on merpeople," Prince Emile interrupted once more. "If only you showed this much enthusiasm for foreign policy. You'd probably be married by now, and I'd get to call my brother a king."

Lukas rolled his eyes and looked off into the horizon. "I wasn't particularly fond of Princess Elizabeth. Or Sophia."

"Oh, believe me, we could tell. Not that I care. So what if my brother, on the day of his twenty-third birthday, is only interested in fairy tales and staring mindlessly into the waves." Emile's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Glad we're on the same page then." Lukas looked more obviously in the dark waters.

"Unbelievable." Emile threw his hands up in exasperation. He caught eyes with a crewman who stood idle, listening to the royal brothers' conversation. "Does this ship look like it's ready for a party?" he yelled, causing the crewman to scurry along.

Emile sighed and joined his brother at the rail. "Honestly, Lukas, with all these shipwrecks, it's not safe for us to be out here. Our ships have been spared for now, but our luck is bound to change. If we're not careful, the pirates or whatever is causing the pirate ships to sink is going to find us, and as your advisor, I really don't think it's wise to put the first and second in line for the throne on a floating death trap."

Lukas looked meaningfully at his brother. "You really need to lighten up." He cracked a smile when his brother laughed. "Besides, if we did get attacked by mermaids, at least I'd finally get to see one. Now that would be a birthday present."

"Right, then I'll just add getting dragged to the bottom of the sea as part of the celebration," Emile joked. "I just have to round up a busty mermaid to kill you. Then, I'll be heir to the throne."

"Don't forget about the voice," Lukas played along. "She's got to have a voice so beautiful that it'll make me voluntarily throw myself overboard."

Lukas stayed their at the railing, looking down into the sea as various people talked to him about treaties, party plans, and sailing conditions. He became distracted from his search. If he had just looked hard enough, looked deep enough in the water, he may have been able to see the faint glint of a long red tail as a creature so lovely and so terrifying swam deeper into the mysterious fathoms below.


	2. Chapter 2

Deep under the waves, the water was heavy and cool on her skin as she swam. She flicked her tail harder in order to propel herself deeper. The tail was a little unusual for her kind; hers was a bright red, easily visible even from a great distance in the blue-green watery world. In her culture, that meant she was born for the battlefield where she would only blend in when surrounded by her enemy's blood.

The mermaid scanned the ocean floor, recognizing the landmarks that she had mapped a thousand times. The graveyard of ships were right where she left them. She couldn't claim them all as her own doing. Some had been sunk decades before she had even been born.

She wasn't too optimistic about this scouting trip through the old wreckages. She had picked over these ships several times; she doubted there would be anything left to pique her interest.

What she really wanted was to sink another ship. Just one more, she'd keep telling herself, but she also knew if she did sink another, it would draw too much attention, from humans and from the king. So, she settled for what was left from the ships that were already at the bottom of the ocean.

She paused one moment to decide where to start. The recent wrecks she had searched quite throughly. The older were the ones she explored as a kid, before she had fully trained her voice. She took those as he best bet if she wanted to find more items for her collection.

She swam through a large crack in the ship's hull, meandering through the cargo holds. She found a skeleton sitting on the wooden floor, unable to escape his watery coffin. At his hip, she saw slight glint. She quickly searched through his rags of clothes to find a dagger in a golden sheath. Ornate jewels decorated the outside. It would have been a ceremonial human weapon.

The mermaid smiled. At least she knew her trip all the way out here hadn't completely been in vain. It brought promise of other treasures that could be hiding.

With renewed vigor, she swam through the rooms of the ship. The doors that were opened held nothing interesting. Just the echoes of life that had been on the ship. The mermaid came across one room that remained closed. She tried the handle, but the door was too stiff to open. She backed up a little and rammed her body into the wooden door. After a few attempts, the door gave way and broke apart into splinters. When she saw the contents of the room, the mermaid's throat gave out an excited squeal. Sitting at the edge of the room was a knocked over chest, spilling out gold, silver, and a rainbow of precious jewels. However, what interested this marine woman was not that, but the store of weapons sitting in racks.

There were various blades deteriorating from age and salt water, but not all of them were a loss. There was a large axe attached to the wall that had minimal signs of rusting. She assessed the rest of the weaponry, deciding that trying to transport them to her collection would probably make them fall apart. The axe, she optimistically hoped, would make it.

With some effort, she yanked it off the wall, its clamps rusted through. She admired the detail from both sides. It was hardly used, no nicks on the blade. There was a good chance the human weapon was still sharp.

The light of the room flickered unnaturally. Something had obscured the light from the surface before it could get to the room the mermaid occupied. She squinted and turned to see what obstructed the light. What she found was that she was face to face with a great white shark.

She groaned internally. Sharks were annoying to her. Most of them just saw her as a creature of smaller size and concluded she would be lower down on the food chain. The opposite couldn't be more apparent. She wasn't going to chance fighting off the shark with a weapon. That might inflict too much damage on her treasure. Instead, the mermaid took a deep breath.

" _You better swim away, shark, swim away fast. I guarantee, if you attack me, your life won't last_ ," she sang. Her voice was hauntingly beautiful, emanating effortlessly through the ocean medium.

The shark's pupils constricted with terror. Even if it hadn't realized what she was, who she was, her song took effect, causing the shark to swim away at breakneck speeds.

She smiled with pride at the effect of her voice. She swam over to a bookshelf. She pulled one off and opened it to find what she always did. Whatever had been written on the pages had been smudged away upon contact with the water, leaving only black smudges on wrinkled paper.

She hummed to herself as she flipped through the book to look at some of the images that were still decipherable. She especially liked the bloody scenes of warfare. They gave her a better idea of how the weapons she so adored were made and used effectively.

As she listened to the melody she was producing, she paused to think, as if there was something important that she was forgetting.

"Shit," she said aloud to no one. She grabbed up her treasure and rocketed out of the ship. She prayed that if she swam fast enough, she'd be able to make the ceremony in time, no matter how much she hated the inauguration day formalities that went on every year since her father and her brother after him were crowned king.

The mermaid princess swam so fast through the water that she was hardly able to take note of the floating vessel just mere feet above her. She would have to check it out in secret after the ceremony if her brother didn't kill her first.


	3. Chapter 3

The mermaid princess hid her newly saved treasure in a feild of kelp a bit of the ways outside the royal city. She raced for the palace, grateful that the fabric from an old, worn sail was wrapped tightly around her chest. It may have only made her 10% faster, but she needed the speed. This definitely hadn't been the first time she had left her brother waiting.

The concentration of mermaids increased greatly the closer she got to the underwater palace. Their coverings were pretty and ornamental if they chose to cover their chests at all. Others opted to strategically place their long, flowing hair in front of their breasts in order to entice their victims. All of them were ready at a moment's notice if a human vessel were to get too close. But that never happened, so their battle gear was mostly for aesthetic purposes. They all looked at her as she swam quickly past, some acknowledged her royaly, but she paid them no mind.

She swam through the open hallways of the palace in order to get to the throne room, where she knew her brother would be waiting. The ceremony was long over, and he would be pissed. As she suspected, the king was brooding on his throne, his inherited trident on the stand beside him. Despite their relation, his tail was a dark navy like the deep rather than blood red. They did, however, share the same golden blond hair cropped short and striking blue eyes.

She forced a playful smile on her lips. "Hey, Berwald. How was the celebration? Congratulations, by the way. Hard to believe it's been four years since you got Dad's throne," she tried to butter him up.

"Actually, it was a bit of a disaster, Astrid, but you already knew that." He pushed himself off the throne and swam to meet her. "It was bad enough that the princess, my sister, didn't come to celebrate, but to top it all off, the commander of our army, you know, the one whose singing is supposed to ensure another prosperous year, never showed up."

Astrid's smile started to slip. "It's just a ceremony, Berwald. Any other mermaid could have sang. It's purely symbolic."

"It is symbolic," her brother agreed. "So that's why when you didn't show up, the elders took that to mean that our kingdom is doomed."

Astrid rolled her eyes at the elders' superstitions. They always thought the kingdom was doomed. Being firstborn and possessing the best voice in all the oceans, Astrid was the perfect mermaid to be the Commander in Chief of the Seven Seas. She could rally the mermaids to war and take out an entire fleet in seconds. But since there were no wars among the mermaids and exposure to humans were forbidden, Astrid had little to do in her job description other than singing a couple of songs when ceremonies rolled around. She did sink ships on occasion, but her brother didn't have to know about that.

"Did you want me to sing you a song?" Astrid asked, disbelievingly.

Berwald nodded, crossing his arms.

" _May our kingdom be rich and our songs be sure. May the reign of King Berwald long endure_ ," she sang. The beginning was the same thing she had sang for the past four years. " _He'll show love for his people in future as in past, and maybe someday he'll stop being an ass._ "

"Astrid!" Berwald scolded as he broke out of the song's reverie.

"What? You wanted a song," Astrid defended. "It could have been a lot worse. Remember that time I made you swim in circles for hours and Mom had to get you out?"

"Yes, I remember. Where were you during the ceremony anyway?" he grumbled.

"Oh Princess Astrid! You're back!" A beautiful mermaid with a sky blue tail swam into the thone room. Her long, light blonde hair was adorned with pearls. She hooked her arm around Berwald's as a sign of affection. The stern look on the king's face softened. "We missed you at the ceremony today, your highness," she said to Astrid.

Astrid smiled at her former subordinate who had worked her way up to be the sweetheart of the ruler of the oceans. Her voice had been high and sweet, a powerful weapon if she actually used it. "I think we've gotten past the point of you still calling me 'your highness,' Tina. You'll be queen soon enough."

The young mermaid's face blushed prettily, but Astrid could tell than her brother was more embarassed than her. He was looking everywhere but at the two of them, and his fins twitched excitedly. Their marraige was still months away, but he had been waiting for a lifetime.

"So, where were you today?" Tina asked innocently. Berwald reaffirmed his original question with a glare in Astrid's direction.

"Uh, well, um..." Astrid floundered.

Berwald squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Please don't tell me you were at the surface."

"You'll be happy to know that I was not," Astrid said truthfully. "I got distracted exploring the bottom of the ocean where it's dark, there's lots of creepy looking fish and shipwrecks..."

"Shipwrecks?" Berwald caught the key phrase. "Astrid, you were picking apart those old human ships?"

His question came across more as a statement. "Yes, but..."

"I can't believe this, Astrid." Berwald ripped his arm from Tina and swam towards his throne. "Humans are dangerous. They're crude and stupid. They'll stop at nothing to kill you if they see you. Or worse. This obsession you have with them is morbid and disturbing."

Astrid scowled. "Like I said I wasn't even at the surface. And I'm much more dangerous than them. Especially when they're already dead. There's nothing wrong with going through their ships."

"And don't think I haven't noticed the ships you've been sinking." Berwald's hand grasped his trident. "I've made the sky and seas perfectly calm for weeks, and despite all that, they still sink. Even now humans are sailing out here to figure out what's going on. When I tell you to leave the human ships alone, floating or sunk, I expect you to listen."

Astrid bristled. She may not have a crown on her head, but they both know she had the real power. Berwald didn't have the chops to take her down if it ever came to that. "I'm not stupid, Berwald, and I'm not a child. In case you've forgotten, I'm still your older sister, even if you are king now. I can take care of myself." With that she turned about face and swam off.

Berwald set down his trident and sighed. He thought about apologizing, but Astrid was already gone.

"Well, that was a disaster," he said.

Tina swam up to him and rewrapped her arm with his. "You did your best," she tried to reassure him.

"I just don't get her," he complained. "I can't even tell if she actually hates humans or just kills them as some sort of powertrip."

"Princess Astrid has always been a bit of a rebel. Her pastimes might be a bit strange, but she can take care of herself. She'll move on and settle down eventually. Maybe even fall in love."

At the mention of love, Berwald gazed at his bride to be. "She may be my sister, but you understand her better than I do. She doesn't like me hovering over her shoulder. Do you think you could talk to her? I just want to make sure she doesn't cause too much trouble."

Tina didn't say that Astrid not causing trouble was impossible. Instead, she said, "I'll try my best, your highness."

Berwald half-smiled. "Astrid was right about the 'your highness' thing. We're nearly married."

Tina smiled sweetly. "Then, I'll try my best, darling."


	4. Chapter 4

Astrid made sure no one had followed her as she left the royal city. Her tail aggressively cut through the water as she seethingly swam. She felt if her face got any hotter, the water would start boiling around her.

She slapped away the kelp until her axe's hiding place became apparent. She grabbed the long handle and held it close to her chest. The dagger lay not far away, and she slid that under the sail cloth, nestled between her breasts. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Berwald would never understand her. He thought she was morbid. Their ancestors would have found nothing wrong with wanting to sink human ships.

Humans were so strange and curious. They were violent and brash and fearless. They ventured out miles from their home to a place where everything surrounding them ensured death. Their ancestors would have killed them purely out of innate bloodlust, but that wasn't quite true in Astrid's case. She found them fascinating.

In a way, she wanted the same as them. She wanted to venture out into a world that wasn't her own. She wanted to tempt every fate imaginable. The boldness of humans inspired and made her extremely envious. But the closest she could get to them was when they were trapped in her world, drowning and held down by the weight of the ocean with no way out.

She swam a ways to a small cavern blocked by a giant stone slab. It took some effort, but Astrid was able to move it on her own. She was one of the strongest mermaids she knew and anyone else who could compare would probably consider the action tedious. But they didn't know what was inside.

The walls of the little cave were covered with weapons. Astrid had arranged them categorically by what time frame they were from. The older ones were the most scarce. So much time in the water had not been kind to them.

She placed the axe somewhere in the middle and looked towards her left and right. She was always awestruck by the innovation of humans. They kept finding ways to make weapons so that they could kill each other easier. The design and even the materials changed. The metal was harder and sharper, yet somehow still flexible, than ever before. She didn't even know how they made it.

She picked up one of the newer axes. This one would be a little more difficult to break. She swam a little ways into the center of the cavern to get some open space.

"Hah!" she yelled as she swung the weapon over her head. The resistance was great, but she was just as fast as the humans were above the water. She fought through the burning ache in her arms and urged her body to move the massive blade faster and faster.

As she took another huff of seawater, she smirked. She wondered how she'd fare in an even fight against a human. If only she had a set of legs.

A rumble traveled through the ocean and was picked up by Astrid's ears. Her face perked and turned toward the surface. It sounded like an explosion. Her blood started to race as she connected it to cannon fire. She could hardly believe her luck. She just might be able to catch a fight that she didn't start for once.

She set the weapon down and made for the exit. She squirmed as she hesitated, looking up to the surface and back to the slab. She shot up, figuring she could close the entrance to her cavern later. There was no telling how quickly this fight would end, and the red and yellow flashes were calling her upward.

* * *

It already troubled Tina that Astrid was currently swimming towards the surface. Tina was also mildly curious about the explosions, but she might not have another opportunity to see what was in Astrid's cavern. Once she judged that the princess was a far enough distance away, she peeked into the cave.

Her face blanched when she saw the weapons. She had seen the damage they had done to humans and her own kind. To think that Astrid was collecting...no. Tina couldn't let herself jump to conclusions. There was no evidence to suggest that the reason that Astrid sunk those human ships was to take their weapons. She would need to gather more information about her former commander before she saw Berwald again.

* * *

Astrid's face broke the surface first. She gasped at the feeling of air touching her face and making her buoyant. She absolutely adored the weightless feeling of being at the surface. She shoved her drenched hair away from her eyes and searched desperately for the warring ships. To her disappointment, she only saw one ship. To her delight, she saw the exploding objects were aimed towards the sky and came in many more colors than red and yellow.

She swam toward a rock above the surface, just beyond the lighted area the humans would be able to see. She easily hoisted herself up using her upper body strength. Her eyes gazed towards the sky above the ship. It was almost like cannon fire, except these sprayed out streams of colors rather than debris and body parts. Not quite as cool, but an interesting human invention, no less.

She pulled the dagger from her chest. After pulling off the sheath, she was pleased to find that the blade was still good. She took her hair in handfuls and cut off bits at the ends that would just get in the way. Short strands of hair fell into the water and floated along the outline on the rock.

Astrid studied the ship. It didn't sound like anyone was close to fighting. In fact, from what it looked like, this ship wasn't meant for fighting at all. They hardly had and cannon ports. Astrid would usually judge this kind of ship not worth her time, but this was a side of humans she hadn't seen.

Out of the blue, the merry ship began to quiet down. There was a moment of silence before the small sound of a song. It wasn't a voice. It was something sweeter, warmer, and just as inviting. If it had been a voice, a siren voice, Astrid would have been done for in a second. She had to see where it was coming from. She resheathed the dagger, stuffed it under the sailcloth, and dove back into the water.

Like most ships, this one had the workings of a ladder built into the hull of the ship. In a frenzy of insane boldness, Astird used this to climb most of the height of the ship. There was a decorative ledge where she could sit and look at part of the deck. She was in an obscure enough place that she was confident that no one would look for her there.

The source of the music was the most beautiful human Astrid had ever seen. His eyes were closed and his blond hair was swept to the side. Tucked under his chin was a wooden instrument Astrid might have seen before in past wreckages, but that wasn't important. The human moved with the music, either that or the sway of his body and motion of the arm was what was making the lovely sound. Astrid had never felt like she wanted to sing so badly. She wanted to call him over to the edge of the boat, if only to get a better look at him, but oddly enough, she didn't want this one to die. Not yet.

"Lukas, let someone else play! It's your birthday; you should dance!" a voice shouted, ruining the song.

The human named Lukas opened his eyes, revealing to Astrid a pair of pure blue eyes. "Since it is my birthday, I should be able to do whatever I want. Even more so since I'm the prince," he shot back playfully. Astrid's heart flip-flopped.

"A prince," the other voice corrected. "And as your fellow prince, I urge you to dance."

The crew whooped and hollered to illustrate the point. Lukas smiled reluctantly. "Only if you play.

The other voice came into Astrid's view. He wasn't as beautiful in her mind, but a hell of a lot prettier than the common sailor and pirate she came across. He took Lukas' instrument and accompanied stick and nestled the instrument in the same position under his neck. This tune was more lively with well defined beats.

Prince Lukas threw his arms out to his sides and started stepping to the beats. Astrid couldn't see his feet, just the sound of them on the wooden deck. At some points in the dance, he'd kick his leg back and twist around, gaining some laughs and cheers. She strained her neck to watch him, but the way he circled the deck made that impossible from her line of vision. At one point, one of the sailors dangled a hat from the end of a mop several feet above Lukas' head. Astrid wondered what they were going to do until she saw the prince take a leap. He flipped and kicked the hat away with his foot.

The crew went crazy then. Astrid's heart was in a frenzy. She knew in that moment she was in love. It didn't matter how extremely irrational and wrong it was, she was in love with him. She swooned at his breathless smile and the mischievous glint in his eye.

"Alright, alright," the other prince stopped playing. "Seeing as it's my brother's birthday, I'd say some gifts are in order."

He clapped his hands and a giant cart was wheeled out with something large covered in a giant cloth. The younger prince took one corner of the cloth and pulled it off dramatically. "Happy birthday, Lukas."

The present was a statue of the older prince. The marble Lukas stood majestically on a rocky domain, pointing his sword toward the sky. His face was stern and determined. Astrid thought it did the real one justice, a bit lifeless but very much human. The real Lukas wrinkled his perfect princely face.

"I appreciate the gift, Emile. I had no idea you thought of me... with such esteem," Lukas said. "It's a bit...uh..."

"Stiff? Yes, well, this was supposed to be a bethroval present for when you actually chose a bride. I was hoping to inspire a more kingly side of you."

"The only side of me it has got are my looks." Lukas clapped his brother on the shoulder. "I really do appreciate the gesture. Perhaps I'll keep it in your room so that you'll have a constant reminder that you love your kingly big brother just the way he is."

Prince Emile rolled his eyes. "I should have just commissioned the sculptor to make a mermaid."

Astrid was too distracted by her prince's laugh to fully register the mermaid comment. "Yes! Exactly! You should remember that for next year."

Thunder rumbled though the dark sky. All eyes looked to the offending clouds. Oh no, Astrid thought. She hadn't accounted for the ships direction as it sailed. The original position she surfaced was now quite a distance away. The beautiful prince's ship was dangerously close to the borders of the royal city. That thunder and quickly approaching storm meant Berwald was in a bad mood with no leanings toward mercy on Astrid's beloved.


	5. Chapter 5

The winds were starting to pick up. Astrid clung fast to the side of the ship. Her muscles burned to stay in the same position but under no circumstances was she to be seen. The deck was havoc as dozens of people ran around on deck trying to fight the waves and winds.

Their efforts were rendered uselessly when lightning struck the mast. A fire blazed along the sail and made its way toward the deck. Despite the fact they were surrounded by water in every direction, the crew couldn't manage to contain the flames. They needed to ready the lifeboats.

Astrid let go. The wind carried her away from the boat as she dove toward the water. She had lost track of Lukas. If he didn't make it to the lifeboats he was going to die. Like the thousands of humans who died at the hands of mermaids. But she was in love with him. Under no circumstances was he allowed to die.

The lifeboats started to lower down to the ocean. She searched for him. She was far away, yet she was pretty sure she couldn't see his face amoung all of the sailors.

"Lukas! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Astrid was pretty sure she recognized the voice of the less pretty one, Lukas' younger brother.

"I can't find her! Siren!" Lukas shouted.

Astrid bristled. Had he seen her? How could he see her if she couldn't see him?"

"The ship is on fire!" Prince Emile shouted back. "We can get you a new violin! Lukas!"

"Not one that sounds like her! I'm not leaving behind Siren Song."

"Lukas!"

There was a splash as a figure dove into the water. Astrid watched in horror as that same figure started to climb the same ladder she had used to reach the deck. Her prince had gone back on the ship. Her love was going to die.

An explosion ripped through the scene. There were screams and flying flying debris as the ship burst into shambles.

Lukas was the only thing on Astrid's mind. Without a thought she cut through the water, just under the surface. She had to get as close to the wreckage as possible. She looked desperately among the larger wooden chunks of the boat to see if he had managed to grab one and stay afloat.

Astrid heard him break the surface before she saw him. He gasped as his lungs filled with air. She turned around to see her prince barely grasping a beam of wood. His eyes were open barely and delirious. They closed as he lost consciousness, and Astrid watched him as he slipped back under the water.

She dove in after him. She wrapped her arms around his torso and pulled him back up to the surface. She struggled with the awkward, limp weight and kept his head above the water as she made the long swim towards the mainland shore.

* * *

It had taken her most of the night. Moving him on land was much more difficult than moving him through the water. She had to wiggle her way more inland to keep Lukas out of the ocean. The sand was coarse and gritty between her scales.

His eyes still weren't open, but he was breathing. This left Astrid with time to think. At the moment she was entirely exposed. It would take at least five seconds of effort to get back into the water if she had to make a getaway. She had saved the life of a human being. The only protocol for interacting with a human was to kill them. But she couldn't have watched him die. Even now, she felt breathless at the sight of his rising chest and the smooth line of his jaw. She still wanted to sing to him. To make him hers. The more she thought about it, the more she reasoned that it would be okay. If he was unconscious, her words wouldn't affect him anyway.

" _If I could stay, you'd fall in love with me_ ," she sang softly. " _I'm unlike any woman that you have ever seen. Lukas, even as you sleep, I'm better than your dreams." She laughed airily upon saying his name. "If I could fight and sing to keep you near, there would be nothing to stop me from leaving here. So, live until we soon can meet, I'll show you a love you can never defeat."_

My soft groan left Lukas' throat. Astrid sealed her lips. She didn't dare sing anything now. She took his hand and held it to her cheek.

Lukas' face winced. His eyes squinted at the sight of the rising sun. It was so bright, he could barely make out the silhouette of the girl before him. He could see her smile though. An equally bright, giant smile that was way too exuberant on a woman that beautiful.

He tried to blink back some of the pain the sight caused, but by the time he opened his eyes again, the woman was gone. He looked left and right, but there was no sign of her. Not even footprints. He sat up slowly and looked to the sea. He could barely believe he was alive.

"Lukas!"

Lukas looked behind him. Much to his surprise, he had washed up on the beach adjacent to his castle. His brother ran down the slope followed by a swarm of attendants.

"Lukas! Lukas, thank god you're alive!" Prince Emile fell to his knees and embraced his brother. "We thought you were dead! They were going to make me heir all because you wanted to go back for your stupid violin! After your funeral, they were going to make me get married to a princess!"

"Wow, your life would have been terrible," Prince Lukas said, completely deadpan. He looked at the ground again. There was no violin, as he figured. That had been a pretty stupid move on his part, no matter how much he loved that violin. He hadn't been able to reach it when the explosion happened.

There was, however, a shallow groove in the sand that started next to him and trailed off into the water. The waves were methodically removing its evidence.

Prince Emile wiped at his face. "I see at least your sarcasm's intact. How did you even get back? Did someone rescue you?"

"A mermaid saved me." Lukas was sure of it. It went against all of his better judgement. Nevermind that they weren't supposed to exist; from what he understood, they weren't the kind to go rescuing humans. Quite the opposite, really. But still, he was sure that was what happened. The girl in the middle of the ocean at night with no land for miles had to be the one he saw this morning who left no trace. At least, that's what he thought he saw. Everything was still a little fuzzy for him, as if he was put under some kind of spell.

Emile laughed nervously. "I think you swallowed a bit too much seawater. The point is, you're alive. Come on, let's get you home."

Astrid nearly had a heart attack from behind the rock. She shouldn't have let him see her. He had left a thrill in her chest that she didn't ever want to go away. She stole a glance back to the beach to watch Prince Lukas be taken back to the castle.

" _This I swear, Lukas, with all of my heart, I'll allow nothing to ever keep us apart. No waves, no storm, no land nor sea. Nothing in this world can keep you from me_ ," she sang.

The melody ended on a more ominous note than she intended. Astrid shook it off. It's not like the song would have any affect. It was an unheard promise that she would do whatever it took to see him again, even if that meant getting all the sand on the beach stuck between her scales and giving up on sinking ships.


	6. Chapter 6

Astrid soared through the water with a swirl in her swim. She had barely slept at all that night, and when she did, her dreams were filled with Lukas. She thought constantly about how their first meeting would go. He would be scared of her at first. That was to be expected, but she'd show him her strength and love for him would overcome any barrier imaginable. Fear would turn to admiration and admiration into love. It wouldn't matter that she was a mermaid and he was a human. They could get past such circumstances given enough time.

"Ah, Astrid...are you feeling okay?" King Berwald couldn't help but notice his sister as she meandered aimlessly through the halls.

"I have never felt more perfect in my entire life." Astrid swam gracefully over his head.

"Right," Berwald wasn't fooled at all, "Last night a ship got within the outer borders, which warranted me to send a storm. From what we can tell the crew survived, so I suggest you and the troops be on the lookout in case any more humans decide to venture closer."

"Oh, I'll be on the lookout alright," Astrid laughed. "Nothing's gonna get past me. You can count on that, brother dearest."

"Uh huh," Berwald added incredulously. Astrid waved her fingers at him and swam off into open ocean to who knows where.

Berwald crossed his arms and felt his face warm with pride. If he had any clue what was going on, and he thought he did, Astrid looked like she was in love. He knew she hadn't ever been in love with anyone before, but there was a first time for everything. He tried to think of what kind of merperson it could be. He didn't have the time to follow up, plus he doubted Astrid really wanted to share this with him, but he was very much looking forward to finding Tina and learning what she had discovered.

* * *

The mermaid princess swam to her secret cavern. This had been her last vantage point underwater before she had gone up to meet the ship. It had still been quite a ways away, but through the coarse of the night, it's trajectory had gotten to the borders. That meant by the time the storm hit, Prince Lukas' ship would have been...

"Princess Astrid!"

The unexpected voice startled her for a moment. Astrid relaxed a little when she saw it was Tina. Still, the chances of meeting her this far away from the palace had to be more than a coincidence. In a small corner of Astrid's mind, she was wary of Tina's proximity to her collection of weapons.

"Tina," Astrid put on a smile, "Just 'Astrid' will do. Fancy seeing you around here."

"Yes, well, I was out for a swim," Tina eyed her future sister-in-law carefully, "And what brings you out here?"

"Well, you know, Berwald wanted me to do some reconnaissance because of the ship last night..." Astrid trailed off. In her head, it sounded like a good excuse. "Might as well listen to him since he's the king and all."

"Let me help you," Tina offered eagerly.

Astrid looked at the situation warily. If she could find what she hoped to find, she couldn't have Tina tattle off to her boyfriend. "Okay, but you've got to promise me something. You do as I say and answer directly to me. If I ask you to keep something secret, you keep it secret, understand?"

"Secret?" Tina questioned. "We're friends, aren't we?"

That didn't directly answer Astrid's question, but she accepted it nonetheless. She swam in the direction of the ship's course, and Tina followed.

They came across the ship without too much trouble. While they were still a distance away, Astrid turned to Tina. "I'm going to have a look around."

"Are you looking for something in particular?" Tina asked.

Astrid wasn't quite sure what was wrong with the question. It sounded too much like Tina knew what Astrid was searching for.

"Because you know Berwald doesn't like it when you look for human stuff..." Tina started to suggest.

"Berwald's not here right now," Astrid said, slightly annoyed. Something light colored caught the corner of Astrid's eye. "Come on. I need your help.

Tina followed dutifully, keeping a wary eye on the ship as if the human vessel still contained some sort of threat.

The statue of Prince Lukas had sunk partway into the sand. Despite being stuck at the bottom of the ocean, his sword pointed proudly towards the surface. Astrid couldn't have been happier.

"What is that thing?" Tina couldn't disguise the horror in her voice. "Is that a human?"

"Not a real one, no. Trust me the real one is much better," Astird said.

"Astrid, I... I thought this was harmless. I thought you just wanted more weapons, but this..."

"Weapons?" What Tina just revealed clicked in Astrid's mind. Finding Tina near the cavern hadn't been a coincidence. "Have you been following me?"

"Princess, this is dangerous! I could understand more if it was just the weapons, but if you have an obsession with humans, then..."

"How could you possibly understand, Tina? You've never even seen a human up close. You've never watched them long enough to see what they were like. And yeah, I like their weapons. I like to watch them fight. And yeah, they're dangerous, but so are we. Aside from a few body parts, are they so different from us? Are they so difficult to understand? To love?"

Tina didn't say anything at first. The answer to the question she was going to ask had the potential to end Astrid's life as she knew it. "You love humans?" Tina asked.

Astrid gazed forlornly at the statue of Lukas. "I love one."

* * *

"I'm trying to understand," Tina finally said. Both she and the princess sat in the middle of the weapon cavern. Astrid had herself draped over her newly acquired statue.

"If you liked humans, I think you'd like him. His ship wasn't aggressive like the rest of them. I don't think he can sing, but he has these human inventions... It's difficult to describe. Like if those things had a voice like we do, I'd be gone in a heartbeat. And when he moves, he has this sort of grace..." Astrid explained a piece of what she remembered.

"No," Tina shook her head, trying to beat back the wave of nausea that came when she thought of Astrid talking about a human with endearment. "How can you say you're in love with him? You haven't actually made contact, have you?"

"Not really," Astrid sighed. "It's just a feeling. I thought you could understand a bit more. Don't you remember when my brother first started courting you?"

Tina closed her eyes and thought back to the time.

"I remember you swimming to me begging for advice. He was a lot more intimidating back then, and didn't know how to talk to girls. Barely knows now. Anyway, you were scared out of your mind because he was royal, and well, Berwald..."

"You told me to turn him down," Tina said.

"Yeah, it was weird. I couldn't have my brother dating one of my subordinates." Astrid shrugged. "Anyway, you dated him anyway because I assume the chance of love with him was greater than any fear you had."

"Something like that," Tina stated simply, downstating her feelings.

"It's like that, but I'm not scared. I... I have a feeling that even if I did expose myself, expose my whole world to him, that everything would just work out.

Tina pushed herself off the ground in frustration. "I don't like where this is going. These feelings are harmless enough as long as we keep this between us. As long as you continue to keep your distance from the humans..."

"Define distance?" Astrid interrupted.

The gears in Tina's head started turning a feeling of doom. "Just how close did you get, Princess?"

"I may or may not have saved him from Berwald's storm last night." Astrid pretending like she was running her fingers through the statue's hair.

Tina was near hyperventilation. The water seemed to burn as it was forced it through the gills in her throat. "You didn't mention that you saved him! You already crossed a line when you actually sought out to kill humans, but to actually drag them out... I'm gonna have to tell Berwald. We could all be in danger."

"Hey." Astrid grabbed Tina by her arms, keeping her grip tight. "I told you that if I took you with me, this would all stay a secret. You can't tell Berwald any of this. I didn't want it to have to come to this. I especially don't want to force you to keep quiet. We're friends, right?"

Tina's nerves steadied. She didn't miss the obviously placed threat. One song from Astrid and Tina would never have the ability to reveal Astrid's secret. It was extremely taboo, but not as much so as the secrets Astrid had.

"I don't even know how I could keep this from him," Tina said, shaking her head.

"It's easy. As soon as Berwald gets close, change the subject. Distract him." Astird grabbed Tina by her wrist and dragged her out of the cave. "I'm trusting you with this. Let's go. We've spent too much time out here."

* * *

"There you are," Berwald said as Tina approached the throne room. "I was wondering where you were."

"I was with Astrid." Tina hadn't felt this nervous in the palace in a long time. She swallowed betrayal into the bottomless pit in her stomach.

In a sudden showing of endearment, Berwald's hands went to Tina's hips. He pulled her close by tracing the sensitive line where her skin met her scales.

"I've been waiting to hear from you all day." His voice turned low and sweet. "I want you to confirm something for me."

"Hmm?" Tina couldn't breathe for multiple reasons.

"Have you noticed my sister acting strange?" Berwald teased.

"Strange?" Berwald mistook the hitch in her voice as something else. He grazed his tail along the thin membrane of her fin.

"You know. You were with her an awful long time today. I just thought she may have told you if something happened last night. Something unprecedented."

"Um?"

"You're keeping something from me. About Astrid being in love?"

Berwald knew she would crack soon. He would feel the tension in the small space of water between them. He didn't expect her to start crying. He felt guilty immediately. He hadn't meant to pressure her, but he must have come across that way. He uncurled himself from around her and tried to figure out how to apologize when she sobbed.

"I'm sorry, Berwald! I'm so sorry. I couldn't do anything. I was too late..."

"Oh, darling..." Berwald tried to soothe her through her indecipherable crying.

"I thought before that it was just harmless. We found the ship, and she told me that she rescued a human from the storm last night."

"What?! Are you telling me Astrid was there, perfectly aware that a ship was encroaching on our boundaries and SAVED a human?!"

Tina took in a few huffs to force herself to calm down. "H-How was your day?"

"Tina..." Berwald swam away in frustration.

"She made me promise to keep it secret, but I couldn't Berwald, I..."

"I should never have put you in this situation." Berwald grabbed his trident from off the stand.

"Berwald, please..."

"I have no idea what my sister was thinking. This is practically treason," the king seethed.

"Berwald, you wouldn't..." Tina placed a hand on his shoulder.

He turned his head slightly at her touch. "Tell me where she is."


	7. Chapter 7

His hand was stone cold under the ocean water. Astrid's palm felt the statue's grip on his sword. She stared into the stone prince's unseeing eyes. Her hand trailed down his arm as she brought her body close to his chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sat on his raised knee. She decided to stay like this in a one-sided, tender embrace.

Astrid contemplated the position she was in. She wanted to see the prince. Ideally, as soon as possible. She tried to think of the routes usually took when they sailed at night. She'd have to avoid those if she wanted to make it to land unseen. This would usually require a lot of planning, but she didn't want to wait for that. She rested her cheek on his rock hard chest.

"Astrid!" Someone shouted. The princess turned to the source of anger at the entrance to her cavern. A moment of horror showed on her face. It was Berwald. He had found her hiding place. His fury was evident as he clenched the trident of their father.

"Berwald, what..."

"I'm not going to listen to your excuses, Astrid. Your treachery is obvious. Now I can see its full extent."

Astrid can feel her anger match his. "Treachery? Because of this?" She indicated to her collection. "Don't you dare question my loyalty after all I've done for you and this kingdom."

"Oh, so you're going to deny rescuing a human?"

Astrid felt like she had been skewered. Tina's betrayal was cutting deeper and deeper. She tried to find her words. "You don't know what happened."

"It's bad enough that you go to the surface. It's bad enough that you needlessly sink ships to collect these damned human weapons. Now, you're rescuing humans! I don't understand. Do you hate what we are...who we are so much that you sabotage the existence of our entire species."

"No!" Astrid shouted back.

"Then tell me, Astrid. Because I am this close to..."

"To what? What can you do?"

"Don't test me, Astrid."

"You don't understand me because you don't understand humans, Berwald! They don't come out here to rid the world of mermaids. They want adventure. They're curious. And yeah they can be violent and crass, but so am I! Would you hate me if I were a human?"

"That doesn't matter, Astrid. You aren't human and you never will be."

"But it does matter, Berwald. Forget me, if Tina were human, would you leave her to die? Could you leave someone you love to die even if you knew it was dangerous to rescue them?"

Berwald looked at Astrid to the deplorable depiction of the stone human. He then realized that the reason she kept the statue so prominently in the center of the cave was not because of the presentation of his human weapon. Astrid's recent mood change was explained.

Berwald clenched his fists. "Have you lost your senses completely? He's a human; you're a mermaid!"

"I don't care. I thought you'd be able to understand that much. If you're looking for a traitor, look at your own fiancée," Astrid said pettily.

Berwald pointed the tips of his trident toward his sister. "I'm not going to put up with this, Astrid."

"Try something. I dare you."

Berwald stayed completely still, but the ocean around him began to spin. The current picked up and took the human weapons along with it.

Astrid looked in horror at the maelstrom of swords and axes. If she moved, she'd be in danger of getting slashed or stabbed. "Berwald, stop! This is crazy!"

"Really? _This_ is crazy?!"

The current sped up. The weapons clanged against the walls of the cavern. The old and fragile weapons splintered apart, sending sharp shards into the chaos.

Astrid could only watch as her collection got destroyed. Her voice would have no effect on the weapons or the ocean that moved them. "Don't do this! It's dangerous!"

"Then maybe you're starting to see reason!"

Astrid dodged as one of her favorite swords nearly grazed her cheek. It broke into a dozen pieces as it hit the wall. She needed to gain control, but that would be the single greatest act of treason she ever committed. She didn't care. She was mad.

_"Brother of mine, heir of the sea, calm the currents and lay down my weaponry_ ," she sang in a strong, loud voice.

The water slowed. Without the current pushing them, Astrid's weapons lost momentum and sank to the sea floor. All of them were beyond repair, even if Astrid knew how to fix them. The damage had been done. Astrid had used her voice against the ruler of the seven seas.

Berwald simply stared. He narrowed his gaze and focussed on the statue.

Astrid tried to figure out why he stayed silent. She expected more rage. He wasn't even looking at her. She followed his concentrated glare to her statue. She felt all the blood drain from her face. "Berwald, no...!"

It was too late. The statue ripped apart from the inside. Chunks of rock were thrown throughout the cavern. Astrid dove toward the ground to grab what used to be Prince Lukas' face.

"You know your crime," he said coldly. "The punishment for something of that magnitude is banishment."

Astrid cradled the prince's face in her hands. Even after all that, she chose the human over her own family. Berwald swam away in disgust, leaving his sister in the shattered mess.

He swam aggressively back towards the castle. Even if Astrid did come swimming after him, he really wasn't in the mood to listen.

* * *

Astrid no longer had to consider her situation. She was banished. She would never be able to go back home. Berwald thought she was stupid and dangerous. She'd show him stupid and dangerous.

Berwald was the ruler of all the oceans. If he wanted her really banished, she'd have to find a way out of the water. The only hope she had of doing that was slight at best.

Astrid had to take the chance. She'd leave behind her life and her treasures. They were gone. She'd never get them back. Astrid pushed herself forward and swam out into open ocean, away from her family and the castle.

The further she got, the more her skin crawled with irritation. She couldn't ignore the lingering suspicion any longer. "There's nowhere for you to hide, traitor. Stop following me."

Astrid turned around, and sure enough she saw Tina's pathetic form. Pathetic in the way that the young mermaid seemed to physically tried to hold herself together. Her eyes were bloodshot and she trembled.

"Astrid, I'm so sorry."

"Sorry isn't going to cut it. Go home."

"I'm not going back until you do," Tina said with surprising conviction.

"Don't you understand, I'm exiled. I can never go back thanks to you," Astrid said bitterly.

"Then I can never go back, too. I'm a traitor, same as you. At least if I stay with you, Berwald might change his mind."

Something in Astrid softened. She swam toward her former comrade. Tina visibly flinched, expecting the exiled princess to hit her.

As much as Astrid wanted to, she held herself back. She clenched her fist. "I'm warning you. If you keep following me, you really will be a traitor to Berwald. I'm not playing around. I'm in love with that human. There's nothing keeping me anymore. Understand?"

"Astrid, I won't let you go alone."

The princess gripped the younger's shoulders. "You can't follow me. Not all the way. You still have Berwald. I'll let you watch, but even that might be too painful for you. Do you still want to come?"

Tina nodded eagerly. She didn't think Astrid would allow her even this much.

"Fine, but if you get in my way, I'll sing you back to the palace faster than a crashing wave."


	8. Chapter 8

Ursula never really liked her name. She had always preferred to be called something gentler like Alice, but people said it never really matched her nature. Ursula was a perfectly reasonable name for a sea witch.

Her hut stood precariously over the water. Either a natural calm in currents or a spell of some sort kept her house from being battered too badly by storm or waves. The water stayed calm in a rolling wave all year round.

Ursula thought she would be intimidated living alone on the ocean, though she found that the fog made her feel comfort in the vastness. She always found something to do, even if there were no customers.

The sea witch's hut was supported on beams that stretched deep into the ocean. Even Ursula didn't know how far they went. Her master had told her not to worry about those sorts of things and to focus on her spells.

The majority of people who asked for a sea witch's service were those who wished safe travels for their boats. Ursula wasn't so powerful as to control the sea, yet, but she could increase the chances of a boat staying afloat in dire conditions. That and to keep them out of the notice of mermaids.

Ursula had personally never met a mermaid, though she had vast knowledge of magical creatures. Her master told her that long ago, they would also go to the sea witch for spells. Ursula was sure they were still nearby. Every month or so, a new wave of mermaid hair would find its way into one of the sea witch's traps.

Ursula fished the net of hair from the water off the deck that surrounded the hut. Mermaid hair could be used in warding spells, love potions, and those useful for breathing underwater. It wasn't a pleasant spell, but Ursula preferred it than going to land for supplies. Even though Ursula was human and was raised with humans, she found she often didn't enjoy being around their company. She was happy that she could avoid going back to land for a bit longer. She went to her hut to replenish her supplies.

A light peal of bells filled Ursula's ears. Something or someone had breached Ursula's perimeter, most likely a customer. Ursula smoothed her hair and cleared her throat. She looked out the window of her hut but did not see any boat.

The fog was thick. Ursula went out the door and stood on her dock. She looked off to where the horizon should be. There was still nothing. Ursula wondered to herself if it had been some sort of large fish.

She heard a splash, so her eyes looked down. A mermaid pulled herself up to the dock. Her tail was a bright, iridescent red.

"Bloody hell!" Ursula shouted and plugged her ears. She ran back into her hut before the siren could even attempt to start singing to her. She scrambled to find the vial that contained bits of cotton. She quickly stuffed a couple of pieces in her ears.

Ursula flipped through her spell book to find the promise keeper. That was a necessity if she were to actually hear what the mermaid wanted.

The sea witch went back outside. The mermaid was still there but looked pissed.

"Before I hear what you want, you have to promise not to sing at me," Ursula called out loudly.

The mermaid nodded her head. Ursula muttered the spell under her breath then held her hand down to the mermaid. The mermaid took it quickly drew her hand back from the burn of the minor spell.

Ursula took the cotton out of ears. "Now, how can I be of service?"

"What was that?" The mermaid rubbed her hand gingerly.

"A spell," the sea witch explained. "You promised not to sing to me. This spell makes you keep your promise."

The mermaid scowled. Her hair was short, choppy, and messy as it lay plastered to her head.

"I assume there's something you want or you wouldn't risk exposing yourself to a human," Ursula continued.

"You don't seem all that scared to see me," the mermaid said.

Ursula shrugged. "I may not have to worry about your voice at the moment, but I suppose you could still drown me if I get to close. I'm working under the assumption that if you kill me, you won't get what you want, so at least I have that advantage."

The mermaid pushed her hair back away from her face. "I need you to turn me into a human."

Ursula didn't even try to stop herself from laughing. It lasted for a few exaggerated seconds before she finally said, "Why in the world would you want to do that?"

The mermaid bared her teeth then attempted to hoist herself on the deck. "Don't test me, human. I am firstborn of Triton's line..."

"Ooh, royalty," Ursula said, unimpressed. "It's possible, your highness, but major spells have a major price. Even if I was willing, you'd have to have a really good reason."

The mermaid calmed down. "Well, then, I have the best reason. I'm in love with a human, and..."

Ursula frowned deeply. She thought back to the girls in town who would beg her for love potions for a guard with luscious blond hair, entrancing accent, and cocky attitude. He would flirt with everyone, but would do nothing but annoy young witches minding their own business. Ursula would see the same girls over again as they asked for potion after potion to gain love and then forget. She hated his guts.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," the sea witch said. She started to walk away from the dock.

"No! Wait!" The mermaid called out. "I'm desperate! Please, there must be something you want or anything I can do."

Something made Ursula stop in her tracks. She had never made a deal with a mermaid before. A whole new incentive was suddenly available. If this mermaid was as desperate as she claimed, she just might be stupid enough to consider...

"I might be willing, if..."

"If what?"

"I can turn you into a human for three days. The spell can make you human permanently if you can get true love's kiss by sunset on the third day. If not, you'll turn back into a mermaid and become indentured to me. But I can't do this for nothing. I'll need your voice for payment."

The mermaid's face sank. Ursula figured as much. People get so excited by the notion of love that they always forget about the pain and sacrifice. As much as Ursula would love to get her hands on the voice of a mermaid, a firstborn, royal mermaid at that, she doubted that the mermaid would give up something as powerful as her voice.

"If...if I don't have a voice, how am I supposed to make him fall in love and kiss me?" The mermaid questioned.

Ursula smirked. "You must not know human men very well. Believe me, with looks like yours, you shouldn't have any trouble getting a kiss from anyone." Some men threw around kisses as if they meant nothing.

The mermaid thought deeply for a few moments. "And all I have to do is give you my voice?"

Ursula nodded. She remained calm on the outside, but she was nearly writhing with excited anticipation. To think of all the things she could do with the voice of a siren.

Conviction settled on the mermaid's face. "I'll do it."

Ursula sprinted back into her hut and grabbed a roll of parchment. She quickly scratched out a contract.

"Is that the spell?" the mermaid asked when the witch came back out with a cauldron full of supplies.

"Yes, but first, you need to sign this." Ursula handed the mermaid the parchment with a pen dipped in ink.

The mermaid looked carefully at the parchment. Water seeped into the thick paper through her fingertips. Next, she looked at the pen, running her fingers over the soft feather.

"Ahem," Ursula cleared her throat.

The mermaid scrawled something largely over the paper. Ursula snatched it back then stuffed it into the pocket of her dress. Now was the time for magic.

Some ingredients were common. Freshly cut grass from a hill the morning after the Equinox. Loam from a fruitful field. Water from a a spring frozen over, stolen at midnight on the winter solstice. Others were a bit more costly. Umbilical cord. Blood money. The ground bones of her master.

Finally, Ursula slid the sharp blade of a knife across her palm. She chanted the spell under her breath as her blood dripped into the cauldron.

"Sing," the witch told the mermaid.

The siren opened her mouth. Her voice was entrancing and effortless despite Ursula's spell. Before the witch let herself be pulled in to the directionless siren magic, she shot her bloody hand out to the mermaid's throat. The mermaid gagged as Ursula's hand effortless went through her neck and gripped hold of the voice. Ursula carefully withdrew her hand, keeping a gentle but firm grip on the voice. Her hand emerged gripping a golden glowing orb, the voice still singing. The mermaid's hands flew to her neck finding the skin and flesh unharmed. Her eyes widened at the horror of seeing her voice outside of her body.

Ursula started to laugh. The mixture of bloodloss and power lust left her maniacal. She placed the voice in a glass vial and plugged it so it couldn't escape to its owner. The witch clapped her hands over the cauldron, sending up a cloud of green smoke as the spell reached its completion. Ursula dumped the cauldron on the mermaid and the water around her.

The transformation was nearly instantaneous. The mermaid spasmed in silent pain, sinking lower in the water as her body tore itself a part. The color drained from her tail. Scales receding, leaving naked skin. Her lower body split in two. The mermaid struggled to stay conscious.

Ursula chuckled to herself as she brought her spoils into her hut. Not only did she have the voice of a siren, but in three days she'd most likely have a servant. She bound up her wound in soft, clean cloth.

She took out the contract. The mermaid's signature looked like a bunch of jagged squiggles. Her name was indiscernible. Ursula wondered vaguely if the mermaid even knew how to read. It didn't matter much now. The mermaid turned human would soon be stranded in the middle of the ocean with only 3 days to get true love's kiss, and that was the rarest, most unbelievable thing in the world.


	9. Chapter 9

Astrid awoke in a place she wasn't familiar with. She thought hard to remember how she got there, but her head was as foggy as the oceanic scene outside the entrance of the mysterious cavern. She had gone to see the sea witch and was pretty sure the witch agreed to help her.

Astrid sat up and looked down to see her own set of legs. She was nearly shaking in excitement. She ran her hands over the new skin. She had never properly seen human legs before. They were awkward. Not nearly as elegant as her tail. It made sense why humans covered them constantly.

Despite this, she still couldn't remember how she got there. Her memories went black after the pain.

"How could I let this happened?" Astrid heard someone say. A pretty voice reverberated off of the stone walls. "I shouldn't be here, but I couldn't leave her with the witch. Oh." The voice cried.

Tina turned to Astrid from the inlet of water. "Who knows what else she would have taken. I don't know what more you could possibly give her," she said accusingly.

The words stung Astrid a tiny bit. She moved her legs under and pushed herself up. She was more than a little shaky. She proved a quick learner after a couple of experimental steps on her new legs.

"Maybe Berwald can fix this. He could go to the witch and and make her change you back." After witnessing Astrid violently shaking her head, Tina added, "But that still wouldn't make you happy."

Satisfied that Tina wasn't going to swim straight back to Berwald after witnessing this taboo, Astrid searched the cave a little more. Scraps of ship had washed into this little cave with the tide, leaving debris of various shapes and sizes. Astrid was lucky to find sailcloth much like what she tied around her chest. It was hard to find a large enough piece, but the princess made do and tied what she could find around her hips. At least now her legs were partially covered.

"I'd ask you what you're planning on doing now, but you wouldn't be able to answer me anyway."

Tina's less than subtle jabs brought a smirk to Astrid's face. Never had her protégé been so forward. She liked the change, even if it was at her own expense.

Tina followed Astrid to the mouth of the cave. Astrid confidently went forward while Tina hesitated at the wall of the exit.

"Wait, we have to make sure that the coast is clear!" Tina insisted.

But Astrid didn't have to wait for anything anymore. She would blend right in with the humans now. She strode along the beach, placing one foot in front of the other. A wave rolled in and lapped her skin with cold water.

She expected Tina to follow after her, but when the protests stopped, Astrid turned around to find that Tina wasn't there. She looked a bit more, but she never saw a hint of the mermaid's blue tail or blond hair. For a moment, she felt strangely alone.

"Hello?" A voice called out. It was low and clear on the quiet beach. Astrid turned away from the sea to see a figure approaching. "Who goes there?"

Astrid's heart skipped a beat. She never dreamed of finding him this quickly. She knew it had to be fate. Her feet couldn't carry her fast enough as she maneuvered her way around the hard jagged rocks separating them.

"Stay right there," he demanded.

Astrid stopped obediently for the first time in a long time. She was anxious to touch him, to kiss him and stay with him for the rest of her life.

"Who are you? What circumstances led you to be dressed like that here?"

Astrid pointed to the ocean insistently. She mimed swimming, but it was difficult to sign a boat when there weren't any around.

Lukas took a moment to process. "I suppose all the flailing means you're mute. Were you involved in a shipwreck?"

Astrid nodded joyfully. He could understand her even without her voice. She just had to somehow tell him that she was involved in his shipwreck. She pointed to him and stepped closer.

"You must be looking for help. Do you know if anyone else survived?"

Astrid shook her head to show that he was getting it wrong.

Prince Lukas took off his outer jacket and wrapped it around Astrid's body. The gesture stilled Astrid. In that moment, it didn't matter if their messages were getting crossed.

"There's been a lot of shipwrecks around here lately. Not many of them survive. My crew and I did, except... I don't suppose it's very likely you saw a mermaid..."

Astrid nodded her head vigorously. Lukas' eyes widened in shock. "What? Are you seriously saying a mermaid caused your wreck and you survived?"

Astrid just kept nodding. Her response sent a beautiful look of hope and wonder across Prince Lukas' face. She finished the distance between them and embraced him in a moment of thoughtless joy. She was the same height as him and felt their bodies fit beautifully together.

She felt the prince jolt and stiffen. He placed his hands on her arms and promptly pushed their bodies apart. His face was stern at first but then was forced to soften. "Sorry. I know this must be terrifying." He grabbed the ends of the jacket she was wearing and pulled until it wrapped her up like a cocoon, trapping her arms.

"Keep this on," he ordered. "You're going to cause enough scandal as is."

Lukas started to walk back where he came. Astrid followed after him, holding his jacket close to her body. The navy wool was a little scratchy but it was slowly making her comfortably warm.

The beach was contained by a high ridge. A small worn path was the only noticeable way to get over the earth. Astrid was able to keep up with the prince without much trouble. She was getting a better idea about how her legs were supposed to move. Despite her growing knowledge, she tripped and fell flat on her face.

The prince smirked and helped her up. "Watch your feet. You alright?"

She nodded. Astrid wasn't quite sure what a feet were. What she did was look more closely to where she was stepping. There were lots of things to trip over if she didn't watch.

While busy looking down, she didn't notice how soon they had reached the human palace until there were voices of greeting. The voices quickly turned to hushed whispers as they passed.

"If you've finished your little scavenger hunt, your highness, then I suggest..." The young man approaching stopped short. Prince Emile scowled. "Lukas, what is this?"

Prince Lukas looked at his brother and then back at Astrid. "I'm pretty sure it's a woman."

"But why is she with you? Where the hell did she even come from? And why is she naked?"

"All very good questions. I intend to find all that out. Have a maid give her a bath and clothes and then escort her to the library. Don't interrogate her too harshly. She can't speak."

"Wha-" prince Emile looked to Astrid and then back to his brother. "But where did she come from?"

"The beach. Apparently there was another shipwreck. And you'll never believe what caused it," Lukas said as he walked through an open doorway into the castle.

"Oh you've got to be joking," Emile said to no one in particular. He stopped Astrid from following after Lukas by placing a hand on her shoulder. "I know your game here. Don't think I'm unaware of you just telling my brother what he wants to hear. Be sure to know that I'll be advising my brother to throw you out as soon as you're bathed and clothed if not jailed for your audacious lies. Do I make myself clear?"

Astrid nodded. She put her hand on Emile's arm and easily pushed it away from her. A look of shock crossed the young prince's face before a couple of maids gently pushed on Astrid's back to escort her further into the castle, muttering "poor thing" as they surveyed her circumstance.

Prince Emile had never met a woman as brazen and forward as her. This did not bode well.


	10. Chapter 10

Astrid had never encountered water that unnatural in her life. For one thing, it was strangely warm, but not uncomfortably so. It also foamed with bubbles and scents. They were sweet and floral, both of which Astrid had no experience with.

She was thoroughly stripped and scrubbed by the curious, giggly maids of the castle. They marveled at how clear and smooth the former mermaid's skin was, save for the pink scratch on her face. As she sat in the bath, they argued about what to do with her hair. Some suggested flowers and ribbons to help her look more feminine.

Astrid sunk further into the water. She had no patience for that sort of thing. She was wasting enough time as it was. She grabbed the ledges of the tub and pushed herself up. The ladies scrambled to her with towels to dry off the visiting princess.

She was led into an joining room where she was tightly bound other sorts of fabric. She was wrapped in layers and layers of clothes that made it hard for Astrid to move and see her feet. The maids tried their best with Astrid's hair, but it refused to do anything besides stick out at odd ends when it was dry.

She would have run away at that, but then they slipped clunky coverings over her feet. After all that time figuring out how to walk, the humans had to make things more difficult. Luckily, one of the older ladies slipped her arm around Astrid's to help her up to her feet. She said encouraging, kind words as she led Astrid out to the hallway.

From there she was handed off to another person. A man, this time, led her to the library.

It was gigantic. If there was a wall that wasn't covered in books, there were enormous paintings with scenes Astrid could never dream about. Never mind the landscapes of the unfamiliar earth. The one that captured Astrid's attention had one with a four legged animal high up in the sky. Wings sprouted on its back as it carried a woman. This woman was equipped with a sword and a helmet and seemed to be singing or shouting something as a storm wreaked havoc around her.

"I see you're taken with _The Valkyrie_."

Astrid fixed her gaze on Prince Lukas and then went back to the painting.

"Interesting creatures. Norse mythology states that these women escort warriors who died in battle to Valhalla, or any afterlife that suits your taste. You may not know it, but your interest tells me more about you than you know. That and one other thing."

The prince wandered further into the library. Astrid followed slowly behind him.

The prince stopped at a table holding a familiar looking knife. A treasure gilded knife that had been lost for decades and then hidden between a mermaid's breasts.

"Do you see that?" Lukas pointed to a crest on the knife's hilt. "You may not be aware of this, but that crest belongs to my maternal grandmother's side of the family. It was part of the treasure from her dowry ship that was attacked by pirates over fifty years ago. I'm not even going to ask where you were keeping this. The more interesting question is where did you get it."

Astrid had nothing to say. The explanation was too complicated for her to even attempt to mime, and after that, where would that leave her in the prince's eyes?

"My brother seems to think that you're a pirate," Lukas laughed as he continued. "He thinks I should jail you for even having this at all."

Astrid shook her head. She wasn't a pirate, so at the least she could deny that.

"But that's a conversation and decision to be made later. Out of all these interesting questions I need to ask you, there is one paramount to anything else."

Lukas used his head to indicate to a painting on the wall. This one was a mermaid. Her tail was green and her hair was long as was the fashion for many mermaids. Her expression looked as if you had caught her by surprise. Her pink lips were shaped like an O. Her eyes were large and doe-like. She didn't look terrifying at all. Naturally, she should be beautiful, but she didn't strike any fear.

"I need you to tell me what you know about mermaids. I believe you came to my beach under extraordinary circumstances. I need to know what those circumstances were."

Lukas pulled out a chair. Astrid scrambled to figure out what she was supposed to do with it. She remembered some of the portraits she passed by in the castle, and with just a little bit of hesitation, sat down.

Prince Lukas pulled a drawer out from a desk and retrieved paper, quill pen, and a well of ink.

"I was thinking that if you couldn't speak, perhaps you could write down your account."

Astrid hesitantly took the pen. She couldn't write. She couldn't even read. All the books she encountered had been ruined by the water.

She dipped the pen in the ink and wavered over the paper. A single drop of black ink fell and made splotch. Inspiration came to the former mermaid.

She struggled valiantly. The feather pen was hard to maneuver. It scratched at the paper in sloppy strokes.

The prince watched over her shoulder. He snickered, much to Astrid's surprise. It was a beautiful sound that startled her and left her in awe.

"Forgive me. I should have figured you couldn't write. The fact that you can't draw either is an amusing surprise. I've seen better finger paintings."

Lukas took the paper. Astrid thought it had been rather obvious. She had very clearly drawn herself as a mermaid. If she had more time, she would have shown him that she rescued him.

"Aren't we in quite the predicament." Lukas sat across from her. "Either you are a pirate, lying about seeing a mermaid to protect yourself or gather information, or you are telling the truth and what I want to know most is trapped inside of you."

In a desperate attempt, Astrid pointed to the painting and then pointed back to herself, praying that the prince would connect that she was the mermaid.

Lukas nodded. "I believe you. I may be a fool, but I believe you. It's crazy, I know, but I feel like you're familiar and so unfamiliar at the same time."

Astrid's heart lightened. He couldn't really believe her if he couldn't understand her, but he remembered her. A part of him remembered her from that time. Astrid didn't think she could ever be that happy.

"Maybe I could get someone to teach you to read and write. Or to draw at the very least," he laughed.

If Astrid had all the time in the world, she would like that more than anything. She wanted that time, to be human with him. And the chance was so close. He was only sitting across from her. If she just got up, she could kiss him so easily, but she wasn't sure if he loved her yet.

The prince turned when there was a knock on the door. "Pardon me, your highness. Dinner is served in the dining hall," a servant announced.

"Great." Prince Lukas stood up. "You will join me, of course. I've got to keep you close. Who knows what sort of secrets you'll reveal."

Astrid's heart swelled with love once more. She took his arm. She reached deep into her arsenal. The art of seduction was a crutch for lesser mermaids whose voices weren't as captivating. But Astrid remembered. She had time. She could tease. She needed to woo him, not drown him.

Astrid let the tips of her fingers flick against the prince's skin at the wrist. She strained for subtlety, but she found it hard with him so close.

If Lukas was affected, he didn't show it. He dutifully escorted Astrid to the dinning hall to eat.

* * *

The sun was setting. Soon, Tina wouldn't have to hide so deep under water. She found herself unable to do anything besides pace back and forth along the shore. The smarter thing to do would be to wait in the cave, out of sight. She reasoned that a human might get close again. She was worried about Princess Astrid's well being. If she could just get one glance at where Astrid might be, she could get a better idea of her safety. Without her voice, Astrid would be helpless.

The last rays of light lit the ocean with red and golden hues. If any boats were going to dock for the night, they would have been at the marina. But there was one still in the open water. A little rowboat made its way towards the shore. Its single passenger had made it a far distance on mostly patience and resilience.

Tina was worried before, but now her instincts told her that even if she couldn't find Astrid, there was one other person to look out for. That was the witch's boat making it's way towards the harbor.

A siren's voice was a powerful weapon in capable hands. Tina wasn't confident that hers could compete with Astrid's but she was trained. She needed to bet on the fact that the witch wouldn't be able to use a mermaid's voice. Should Tina fight the witch, there was a chance she could win.

It was dark by the time the witch made it to the docks. Tina kept her distance from the land but maintained watch. The witch carried a large bag from the boat. Tina wondered if Astrid's voice could be somewhere in there.

The witch went further inland with her wares and quickly left Tina's line of sight. The water was inky black with night now. Tina had the freedom now to explore and develop a plan: both to find Astrid and keep an eye on the witch.


	11. Chapter 11

The castle was illuminated by what had to be hundreds of candles. The lights were white and bright, very different from the bioluminesce from deep in the ocean. Astrid had seen a couple of fires on ships, but had no idea how they worked or what they could be used for. She supposed the humans didn't feel quite so frightened when they were small and controlled like this.

The doors were opened for Prince Lukas and Astrid as they entered the dining hall. There was a large table with tables and a few place settings. A large chandelier helped to light the entirety of the room. Prince Emile was waiting for them beside the table. He frowned when he saw them together but couldn't maintain it.

"How did I know she'd still be here?"

"You've got to admit, she looks a lot better in a dress. Much less suspicious," Prince Lukas responded. He held out a chair for her to sit before the princes took their seats across from hers.

Astrid watched their dynamic closely. Despite their quipping conversation, the two brothers appeared to be very close. Probably closer than she had been to her brother.

The servers appeared with several glasses and put them before the people at the table.

The boys picked theirs up and started to drink.

Astrid had never experienced it before but found that she was incredibly thirsty. She followed their lead and picked up her glass.

"Mm," Lukas mumbled into his glass. "I probably should have asked if you wanted a beer or if you'd prefer something else to drink."

Astrid drank down the liquid one gulp at a time. It definitely tasted different than sea water and grew warmer as she swallowed it down. It settled and simmered in her stomach, sending heat all the way up to her ears. Astrid grinned. The drink was amazing.

Across the table, the brothers looked at her astounded. They started laughing at the same time.

"Get her another!" Lukas ordered happily.

"Oh my god, she drinks like a fish. Are you absolutely sure she's not a pirate?" Emile laughed.

"I have no idea," Lukas chuckled.

Astrid wasn't quite sure if she had done anything wrong. Lukas was smiling, so that was good enough for her. When they brought her another drink, she sipped it slower.

Astrid had, of course, never seen the foods that were brought out. There were soups and breads and salads. They were strange but delicious. The flavor alone practically made becoming a human worth it.

Eventually, there was a course that Astrid recognized: fish. This she knew how to eat, or at least she thought she did. When they brought out, she felt a little disgusted. They had butchered the poor thing. It's scales were gone, leaving just scraps of muscle, no bones, no organs. On top of that the flesh was different. It parted in flakes, making Astrid wondering what they did to it.

Neither Lukas and Emile seemed to see anything wrong with it. They were busy talking about management in the surrounding villages. A little warily, Astrid picked up the fish and brought it to her face. She wanted to grumble as it started to fall apart in her hands. She brought the flesh to her face and took a bite.

As if in sync, both princes looked at Astrid in something that resembled disgust. Astrid paused mid chew. She cursed herself for not watching them eat first. She slowly brought the fish back down to the plate.

Emile brought a hand to cover his mouth and whispered to his brother, "Think she's had too much to drink?"

Lukas studied her closely. Astrid had no idea how to fix this.

"Ah, the fish fork is missing. Sorry, we're a little informal here when it's not a diplomatic affair. You can just use the dinner fork. As hilarious as that was, you don't need to go to those lengths if you're confused," Lukas finally said.

Damn humans and their utensils, Astrid thought. She washed down the fish in her mouth and the embarrassment in her face by finishing her drink. She grabbed the fork to the left of her plate and dug into the fish flesh.

Dinner resumed. The more the brother's talked, the more she drank. Astrid was used to being the center of attention and conversation. She can barely even follow along since human vocabulary was absolutely absurd.

Their moment of silence made Astrid look up from her dessert.

"You have to ask her a yes or no question," Lukas clarified.

"Fine, are you from around here?" Emile asked again.

Astrid took a moment and then nodded yes.

"Great!" Lukas enthused. "Are you from the village?"

Astrid shook her head no. She sped things up a bit by pointing at the window as it faced out toward the sea.

Emile's eyes narrowed. "Across the ocean? That's not close..."

"Maybe it's an island," Lukas mused. "One that we haven't discovered yet. If we went on a small expedition, maybe we could explore..."

"No," Emile said quite definitively. Astrid was surprised. She knew her brother liked to boss her around, but that was because he was the king. Berwald would never have gotten away with that when he was just a prince.

"You're not going out to sea again. Not yet. You've barely recovered from your last sea wreck. We can't afford to lose you like that," Emile continued.

An unspoken conversation seemed to pass between the brothers. It was more than just the kingdom losing a future king. It was Emile losing what was left of his family. The two princes understood one another, but it wasn't enough to settle the disagreement.

Prince Lukas frowned and stood up. Astrid followed suit, eager to stay close to him.

Prince Emile was very aware of his brother's antsiness and suggested, "Why don't you show our mystery guest the rest of the castle? That is if you insist on calling her a guest. If not, I could escort her out..."

"Come along," Lukas said and grabbed Astrid's hand. "I might as well show you since you'll be staying in the castle. I've still got a lot more questions."

Astrid was confused, but let herself get pulled along.

"This may sound a little strange, but living in a castle isn't all it's cracked up to be," Lukas said. "When you've been here long enough, you get a little stir crazy."

Astrid understood that sentiment. She'd been running away from her castle practically her whole life. Eventually, not even the ocean was big enough. She squeezed the prince's hand, hoping she could get across that they were alike.

Lukas looked at her for a while, contemplating the strange girl whose hand he inclined to hold. "I should have asked. Would you actually like me to give you a tour of the castle?"

Astrid nodded. She's do anything with the prince.

He led her down hallways she had been before, explaining more throughly what the rooms were used for. Astrid tried to mutely feign interest, but like most castles, the tour was boring. The redundancy of the rooms seemed to run together.

"And this is the armory," Lukas said monotonously.

Astrid peeked inside the room and was astounded. There were weapons everywhere: on the walls, on tables, and even in barrels. Her collection had been nothing in comparison.

"Moving on..." Lukas said in a bored tone.

Astrid held tight to his hand. She smiled in wonderment at the metal works around her.

Prince Lukas blinked for a few seconds, astounded by Astrid and her actions.

"Do you like the weaponry?" he asked.

Astrid nodded eagarly. She let go of his hand once she was sure that the prince would stay with her. She got close to one of the swords that hung on the wall.

"I'm afraid that I don't know as much about them as I should," Lukas casually explained. "I believe that one belonged to my great-grandfather. They say when he defended the borders of this kingdom against invaders, he slaughtered a hundred men in a day with that sword."

Astrid grinned ecstatically. She studied the red gems on the scabbard nestled in securely into silver plating. The edge of the sword was sharp but showed signs of use.

She turned back to Lukas to find him smiling as well.

"I must admit, most women don't have that reaction when hearing my family's war exploits. You look far more giddy than impressed. I suppose I should read up on some of my family history and give you a more detailed tour of the armory."

Astrid studied the swords and battle axes. None of the weapons she collected were of this quality. She reached forward to touch one of the blades.

"Better not," Lukas warned and held back her hand. "Those are pretty sharp. Besides, I can't exactly rule out that you won't turn it on me," he half joked.

Astrid could never hurt him. Never in a thousand years. She gave into the arm that held back hers. She turned gracefully to him and used her other hand to gently caress his face with her fingertips. It took effort to be careful. She had never cared for anybody this much.

Lukas gripped Astrid's hand and brought it down to her side. "Emile was right. You are drunk. You're forgetting yourself. It's not fair of me to ask anything more from you tonight."

Astrid had never been more sure of herself in her life. Her head was warm with happiness. This was where she belonged; she was sure of it.

Lukas cleared his throat and pulled Astrid along out of the armory. After a few more turns and and hallways, the prince stopped.

"We can end the tour here. Past here are the royal quarters. Your room will be in another wing, but the maids can show you to that.

Out of seemingly nowhere, servants showed up. It threw Astrid off guard. Lukas had taken up so much of her mind, she hadn't even noticed if there were other people around.

"They will help you with anything you might possibly need. I'll have a lot more questions for you tomorrow, so get some rest."

Astrid couldn't believe it. Her plan was working. He cared for her. It wouldn't be long until he was deeply in love with her. A kiss wouldn't be far away.

"Good night, mystery lady from beyond the sea. I'll see you in the morning."

As much as she wanted to follow the prince, she was gently pushed to another part of the castle with no hope of trying to figure out where Lukas went. Her head was still swimming in a calm bliss as the shadows grew darker. The guest room where she was to stay was simple but possessed the quality indicative of any royalty.

The servants helped her out of the dress, which Astrid was thankful for. She preferred the breezy shift she was left in. She gazed out the window. The world was so vast, her heart fluttered in excitement. She was sure Lukas felt the same way. As soon as she was permanently human, she would see it with him.


	12. Chapter 12

There were very few moments where Prince Lukas felt like an idiot. He had been told on several occasions that he was too much of a dreamer, that he let his imagination get away from him. He liked to think as he had gotten older, he learned to find the logic and rationale in his fantasies. However, even the cool air of the night didn't seem to help him comprehend what was happening. He breathed in the faint smell of the sea and exhaled sharply.

The girl was bizarre no doubt, even more so when she had something to drink, a bad call on the prince's part. He never thought that she would reach out and touch him.

Rationally, Lukas knew that this was in response to the alcohol. He knew that he was probably overthinking this. But a part of him remained convinced that this girl had meant more than just casual drunk affection.

The prince over-analyzed every move and gesture he had seen this girl make. Despite having just met, she seemed so overtly fond of him that it screamed suspicious. It seemed like more than just some damsel in distress or royalty fanatic. He had no clue who this girl was or where she came from. There was still a major possibility that she was just trying to manipulate him. And if she wasn't, in all honesty, Lukas didn't know what to do.

"Wow..." The word was long and drawn out. Lukas looked at his approaching brother. "I knew you were getting a bit obsessive, but I never thought I'd have to question your honor of all people."

Lukas looked at Emile in confusion until he looked behind him. Up in the tower, their guest stood at the window in nothing but her shift, seemingly unaware of the conversation happening below. She had a dreamy look on her face as she looked up into the night sky.

Lukas' face warmed. He briskly stood up and and marched away from the castle, dragging his brother along with him in order to maintain the woman's privacy even if she wouldn't maintain it herself.

Emile laughed. "I was just kidding. She's either a really good actress or totally oblivious."

"I suppose," Lukas said noncommittally and let go of his brother. He started to make his way to the beach.

Emile grabbed onto Lukas' arm. "Come on. I can't see you take one more night just staring at the ocean."

"I know what I saw, Emile." If Lukas could ask for one more strange event, even the slightest clue of a mermaid would make it all worth it.

"Mermaids don't exist," the younger brother sighed. "And if they did, why would it come here?"

"There must have been a reason she saved me."

It was vague, but Lukas could have sworn he heard whoever rescued him sing. It was probably good that he couldn't remember the words or he'd be locked in her spell. But even without the song, she had a grip on him.

"Move on. You've got better things to occupy your time. Like the kingdom. They need you, not some mythical girl."

"Hmm."

Lukas stared out towards the sea long after his brother left. He had a feeling that he could never give up on her. Sooner or later, he would go out to sea and nothing would be able to stop him from finding the truth of what happened that night.

* * *

There were quite a few things Ursula hated when she had to visit town. This was not one of them. At just before sunrise, there were very few townsfolk awake. The bakers were, of course, filling the small town outside the castle with the smell of freshly baked bread and pastries. It was still dark, but promising colors of deep red on the horizon foretold the sun would soon follow.

Her aim was was just outside of town. She still had time to collect dew off the hill before the sun rose. She took her little glass vial and carefully pushed it across the blades of grass.

She took a moment to revel in the calmness. She sat down, feeling the cool wet grass on her legs. Breathing in the smell of the morning usually made her calm, but today she felt a little uneasy. Maybe it was something in the water?

Remembering her encounter the other day, she whipped her head over to the water. A nearby ravine was bubbling peacefully. She squinted for a bit but saw nothing.

Ursula had to laugh to herself. Mermaids didn't live in fresh water. And even if they could tolerate the lack of salinity, it was even more unlikely that she would encounter another one so quickly. And inland.

"I didn't know you could laugh. It's cute."

Ursula whipped her head around the other way. She found herself face to crotch of the pants of a castle soldier. Unfortunately, she recognized it right away without bothering to look up to the annoying smug and handsome face. She should have noticed how the morning air was tainted with the smell of his musk mixed with cologne.

"Go away," she demanded.

"What's wrong, witch girl? Someone keep you up too late last night? Or is it because you wanted company and they didn't bite?"

"None of your business, Francis," she spoke through her teeth.

He laughed. "Ah, I miss our little banter. I enjoy when you're in town."

Ursula rolled her eyes and pushed herself up. "What are you even doing up this early? Another pathetic walk of shame from the last flavor of the week?"

Francis laughed. "How would you know? You only just got back."

"Because you are a disgusting pig."

"Whoa hey! Let's not jump to conclusions. I, for one, haven't received any complaints."

Ursula frowned. She knew that he hadn't. She was the one who helped these girls move on, to help them forget. She almost regretted not letting it all blow up in his face.

"Anyway, I heard you were back and had to see for myself if it was true."

"Well, you've seen me. What of it?"

"Nothing." Francis shrugged innocently. "Nothing at all. I am satisfied. I'll just carry on my business, which is, how you say, the next flavor of the week."

As he started down the hill, Ursula gave him a rude gesture. He turned back around and shouted up to her.

"I'll see you around, witch girl! Maybe next time if you act nice, I'll treat you for a spell."

Ursula glared at him and followed him with her eyes as he returned to the village. She had to do something about him.

She fingered her necklace. It was a simple spiral shell she had found on the beach hanging on a simple string of twine. Inside was the voice of the siren.

A spell would take too long and require too much work. The voice though, the voice would be effective and immediate. A simple man like Francis would be unable to resist a siren's call. Learning to use it, would only be a short matter of time. There was the very real possibility that she could have him dealt with before the day was through.

Ursula smiled to herself. Her deal with the mermaid was coming to fruition already. This was the dawn in a new era of possibilities.

 


	13. Chapter 13

Astrid waited until the sun had barely peeked over the horizon. She was so excited she had barely slept a wink. She had bargained with herself to wait this long, but she couldn't possibly wait anymore. She was going to find the prince.

The ex-mermaid was fairly confident she could remember the vague location of where he said the royal wing was. This castle wasn't any more complicated than the one she grew up in.

Just as she was about to turn a corner, Astrid was grabbed and yanked into a small corridor. As Astrid prepared to retaliate, she saw the wide eyed gaze of a frazzled servant girl.

"Forgive me, ma'am but are you well? Have you lost your mind?"

Astrid couldn't respond even if she knew how to.

"You're wearing nothing but a shift! Everyone is waking up. You could have been seen!"

Astrid looked down at what she was wearing. She had thought it would have been enough.

The servant led her to a room further in.

"I don't know who was sent to dress you, but we can't have you walking around like this. I'm sure you were meant to wear something finer than this, but we'll have to make do."

The girl helped Astrid into one of the servants' dresses. Astrid was relieved it was more comfortable than the last one. Not nearly as restricting or as many stuffy layers.

The servant girl laid out some shoes. "Now, this will only be temporary. I'll take you back to your room..."

The servant turned around, but Astrid was already gone.

She found her way to the royal wing. The girl had been right about people waking up. In fact, there seemed to be quite the gathering in the hallway. They stood outside the door, no one seemed to be willing to go in there.

"There's no way. The last time, he nearly bit my head off, and he still didn't wake up."

"That's better than me. I was nearly sacked..." They muttered.

They saw Astrid approaching. "Hey, new girl! Have you ever tried to wake the prince?"

Astrid shook her head.

One of them looked relieved. "Good, she can do it, then."

One looked offended. "You can't send the new girl in. You'll traumatize the poor thing."

"She'll have to learn at some point," a third one said. They grabbed Astrid by the shoulders. "His majesty does not like to wake up, but if we don't do it, he'll sleep until noon or worse."

Astrid was curious at the "worse."

"Don't let him intimidate you. He hardly ever follows through on his threats. How good are you at dodging?"

They shoved Astrid over to the door. She looked back to them and they gestured for her to knock. So she did.

There was no response. Not having the patience, she opened the door. Without any warning, a pillow careened close to her head. Her reflexes made it easy for her to dodge the projectile, but the servants behind her gasped and yelped.

Astrid looked over to the ornate bed. There was somebody laying beneath the covers, but all that was revealed was a short mop of blond hair.

"Shut up. Go away," came a strained, raspy voice.

Astrid's breath caught. She wasn't going to go away, but it was very easy for her to be quiet. She snuck further into the room. The door shut loudly behind her

Prince Lukas was curled up on the extravagantly large bed, taking not much room for himself. One of his arms reached out, grabbed a pillow and it was hurtled straight at Astrid.

Astrid caught it easily. She was impressed. There was quite a bit of strength behind it, but even more so, he had either predicted or guessed where she was. Astrid became more aware of the sounds her shoes made. She slipped them off gingerly before she approached the bed.

She could see his sleeping face now. It was so beautiful and serene. It was hard not to take Lukas' side when she saw him sleeping. In fact...

She tested her plan by putting one hand down on the foot of his bed. No response from the sleeping prince. She put a bit more of her weight into it. Still nothing.

She very carefully she made her way onto the bed. She crawled up further, confident that this would not be enough to wake him. Gingerly, she laid herself down beside him.

He breathed softly, like one would expect in sleep. His pink lips were parted ever so slightly. Astrid thought how easy it would be to just kiss him there, to stay like this by his side forever.

Her hand instinctively reached out to caress his face. His cheek moved ever so slightly into her palm, and Astrid just about died.

Lukas' eyelashes fluttered for a moment right before he opened his eyes. What he saw in front of his face caused them to open wide as he furiously kicked himself away from Astrid and off the bed. He landed on the wood floors with a thud.

Astrid sat up and looked at him with concern.

"Wha- what in the world? Who let you in here?"

He appraised Astrid, her outfit, the fact that she was in his bed, and the concerned look on her face.

"I must be dreaming," he said as he rubbed his eyes.

He looked down at himself and his own state. He pulled down on his pajamas in attempt to make himself a bit more presentable in front of the lady. He cleared his throat as he stood up.

"Well, this is obviously some...fantasy based on yesterday's events. If you could do us both a favor and slap me, we can both..."

Astrid did not hesitate for a moment. She slapped him hard. So hard she sent him spinning.

The prince rubbed his cheek gingerly. "Holy hell, you're strong..."

"Are you okay? Your majesty, it's time to wake up!"

"They sent you in here to wake me up?" Lukas asked incredulously.

Astrid nodded.

"Well, that's one way to do it..." the prince muttered to himself. "And for pity's sakes, I'm up already," he addressed the servants outside the door.

"That's...that's wonderful news, your highness! You've got quite a full plate today, so it's best you get started on everything early..." They started to open the door.

"How many people do you think I need to get ready?" he asked crankily. "One is more than enough." He closed the door swiftly and locked it. He looked back at Astrid as if he just realized that he had locked himself in a room with a beautiful girl on his bed.

He opened his mouth to say something, but shut it promptly in thought. He studied Astrid very closely. "I suppose you are dressed for it..."

Astrid looked down at her outfit.

"Improper as it may be... Well, I guess we're way past impropriety, I'm going to need you to close your eyes."

Astrid closed her eyes for a moment, but before long she became insatiably curious about why she needed to close her eyes. She peeked and saw the prince taking off his pajama shirt.

"Ah!" He spotted her. "No! You keep your eyes closed and that's an order."

Astrid didn't see what the point was, but Lukas seemed to have lost trust in her. He grabbed a handkerchief from a drawer and tied it around her eyes.

"If I catch you peeking again, I won't take you with me. I'm your prince so you have to listen to me," he said the last part in dry humor.

Astrid couldn't tell the prince that technically he wasn't hers. She hailed from a place outside his borders. She wanted him to be hers and hers alone, so she stayed obediently.

It wasn't too long before she felt him untie the cloth around her eyes.

"Put your shoes back on and follow me," he whispered.

Astrid slipped her shoes back on as the prince went to the far wall. He twisted a decorative knob on the fireplace and pushed against the wall. It gave in and rotated inwards. He motioned for Astrid to approach.

The hole was just big enough for them to squeeze in. Once Astrid was inside, the wall closed again, leaving the two in complete darkness.

"I'm going to get us out of the castle. Hold onto my hand, so you'll keep up with me."

Astrid didn't need to be told twice. She searched blindly for Lukas' hand and clutched it tight. They stumbled their way through the dark corridor, but picked up the pace when they got more room. Astrid could see a faint light further ahead after several seemingly random twists and turns. They headed towards that and squeezed through yet another crevice.

Astrid found herself outside with her back to a cliff. Straight ahead was the ocean, violent and crashing on the coast in the early morning. To her left, she could see a village. And beyond that, rolling green hills and a pink-orange sunrise.

The prince was beaming. His hair was disheveled and his have was smudged, but in that moment, Astrid thought he couldn't have been any more beautiful.

"Ah, freedom!" he breathed.

And freedom really became him. He turned back towards Astrid, still grasping her hand. His other hand went to her hair. He smoothed it out always from her face in compulsion. He soon thought better of himself returned both hands to his sides.

"Sorry, habit. Your hair was just a bit mussed," he explained.

Astrid reached for his head to return the favor.

Lukas flinched back. "No, no, leave it as is. The less princely I look the better."

Astrid lunged forward which more than shocked the prince. With both hands, she rubbed Lukas' head with as much friction she could muster.

His hair was a mess, yet somehow still suited him. He didn't look quite so princely anymore. His surprised face quickly turned to laughter.

Astrid smiled in satisfaction. She closed her eyes and breathed in anticipation. Maybe, just maybe... She thought.

"What are you doing?" He chuckled. "Come on!"

Astrid opened her eyes.

Prince Lukas held out his hand. "Don't you want to see the world?"

She nodded. Astrid knew she was already looking at it.


	14. Chapter 14

The first part of the world they went to see was a nearby town. They stopped by a bakery where Lukas paid for their breakfast. The prince was having a conversation with the baker, but Astrid didn't care too much to listen to what they were actually saying. The place was filled with breads and pastries, little marvels in Astrid's eyes. She took a bite of the pastry Lukas handed to her, and immediately her mouth was filled with sweetness, fruit, and butter. She tugged on Lukas' sleeve and pointed to the food.

Lukas gave her a bemused smile. "What? The danish? Is it good?"

Astird nodded enthusiastically, licking the icing from her fingers.

"I'm glad you like it, miss. You two are free to stop by anytime. Have a good day!" the baker said, taking pride in his work.

Lukas took her hand again as they went outside. "We'll have to take a walking breakfast. There's a lot I need to get caught up on, and I have a feeling we're going to find something interesting. The air, can you feel it? There might be some kind of magical shift."

Astrid's knowledge of magic was very limited, so she wasn't quite sure what Lukas was talking about, but she liked how determined his eyes looked. They stopped at various shops and Lukas always struck up a conversation with someone. Astrid was just astounded by all of the strange little things the humans managed to sell. She had no idea what they were used for, but they were fascinating all the same.

It was past midday, and lunch was in hand. Lukas was rambling, really muttering to himself something Astrid couldn't quite understand. She was listening to the music in his voice when she saw it. Weapons. Human weapons.

She had almost missed it because it wasn't the only thing featured in that shop. Then she heard it, the clash of metal on metal. He felt the heat emanating from the building. She stopped in her tracks, pulling back Lukas to a stand still.

A large man with burly arms opened an oven, sending a wave of heat to brush Astrid's face. He pulled something out that was glowing bright orange. He brought it over to an anvil and hit it again and again, slowly willing it into the shape he wanted. She observed him carefully. Putting the prices together, she assumed that this was how human weapons were made.

"You really do have a thing for swords. That's really the only thing I know for certain about you," Lukas said.

Astrid grinned.

Lukas couldn't explain why the sight of her smiling like that sent his heart to his throat. He cleared it. "I obviously can't get you a weapon..."

Astrid looked around the prince and saw two men fighting with wooden practice swords. She pointed to them, making Lukas turn around.

"They're dueling. Did you want to watch?"

But Astrid was already rushing towards the crate that held the wooden swords. She picked one up. It was much lighter than anything in her collection. She bounced on her toes in excitement and looked back to Lukas.

The prince cleared his throat. "Excuse me, sirs, but would either of you be willing to fight my friend here? She's been watching you two and thought it looked fun."

"Fun?" One of them scoffed. "This is training. We don't have time to waste on a girl." He glanced at Astrid and stopped. His eyes traced her figure not so subtlely. It reminded her of the looks sailors gave her before she sang them into a fighting frenzy. "But seeing as I'm in a generous mood today, we could take a small break. I'll fight her, but if I win, I'll want a kiss as my prize."

"Ok," Prince Lukas said a bit too quickly. "If it's alright with her. But I wouldn't underestimate her if I were you."

The man smirked and raised his sword in some sort of pose. Astrid saw no use in fancy poses and was confident that she could keep any kisses for Lukas' lips only. She turned to Lukas and nodded.

"Start," he said, with a bemused look on his face.

Astrid struck first, hard and fast. She swung her sword against her opponents so hard it flung the weapon out of his hands. The man yelped and gripped his hand. Astrid flicked the tip of her wooden sword to his throat.

"Looks like she wins," Lukas said, clearly amused.

"Bitch," the other man swore. He used his sword to swing at Astrid. She blocked it easily. She pushed his weapon away and ran the tip of her sword towards his chest. It knocked the air out of his lungs and sent him to the ground.

"This isn't dueling!" The first man argued.

"I only said she wanted to fight you, not duel you," Lukas defended.

Astrid raised her sword and directed it towards the prince.

Lukas' eyes widened in surprise. "Me? You want to fight me too?"

Astrid nodded.

"Of course this is what I get for running off on the day I had to practice..." Lukas mumbled to himself, picking up the first man's discarded weapon. He nodded in her direction, his expression turning to one more serious.

Astrid smiled and swung at him. Lukas easily diverted it and stepped to the side. This just made Astrid smile wider. He was already a much smarter fighter than her previous apponents. She swung harder this time. Lukas easily dodged it, gingerly stepping around Astrid. He went on the attack, swinging at Astrid from different angles, methodically trying to find a weak spot.

Before long, the two of them were starting to form a crowd. Their fighting style seemed so fluid, it looked more like a choreographed dance.

Astrid's heart started to beat faster. It was like she was love struck again. In the mean time, Lukas was struggling to keep up with her. The tempo of their fight was getting faster and faster. She was way ahead of him when it came to speed, endurance, and frankly strength. He wasn't quite sure she got the concept of holding back. He really didn't want to get hit.

She swung low, so he jumped up high to avoid it. He smiled, and Astrid was done for. She stumbled back on her own, leaving herself wide open for Lukas to swing at her chest. Astrid was barely able to fall back enough to get herself out of range, but that meant actually falling. Lukas seemed to have lost his footing as well, tripping over her skirts and falling on top of her. He braced himself, his hands just wide of her shoulders.

This left the two face to face on the ground. Both breathless and giddy with exertion. They seemed to stay like that until their breathing synced.

Astrid closed her eyes and let her lips part. He had to feel the connection, too. There was no moment more perfect than this if he would just kiss her...

But Lukas snapped his head up. Not too far away were a couple of royal guardsmen talking to the blacksmith. The crowd was still shielding them, but they needed to get a move on.

"Let's go," he whispered in her ear. He pulled her up and swiftly lead them through the crowd and out of the limits of the town.

They rested on a green pasture overlooking the village. The grass was soft and pillowy, with violet wildflowers interspersed. They finished their lunch and caught their breath.

Astrid lay back, reveling in the sunshine and cool breeze. She stretched out and settled back on the ground.

"Hey." A handful of grass was thrown in her face. "I didn't bring you out here to take a nap. If you're that tired, you shouldn't have fought so many people."

She peeked at the prince through one eye. "You shouldn't have fought so many people," she mocked him silently, but she sat up anyway.

Lukas was already on his feet and heading towards the edge of the woods. Astrid chased after him, curious of what else he wanted to show her.

"Ever since I was a kid," he said. "I thought these woods were the most magical place in the world. The way the light is here, it almost puts you under a spell."

Astrid could understand what he meant. There was something about the light through the leaves that made the forest seem ethereal. They walked and Lukas would tell the stories he had collected from people around the town. Tales of fairies and trolls and which parts of the forest they seemed to inhabit. They searched for clues and fairy rings, but nothing seemed to be definitive. Still, the thrill of the search left a gleam in Lukas' eyes that Astird was not at all opposed to. He'd ask her question so bout mermaids as well but was unable to answer them to his satisfaction.

They walked along the edge of the woods, careful to not get too far deep. Eventually they came across a stream and a small dock with a row boat. Lukas got in and helped Astrid get into the boat. The sun was just beginning to set, sending oranges and reds into the water. Astrid looked into the shining crests as it slowly approached twilight as Lukas rowed along. It may have been a trick in the light, but she thought she saw a flash of blue within the warm colors.

"You know," Lukas interrupted her reverie. "I feel kind of bad not calling you by a name."

That piqued Astrid's interest. The thought of hearing her name on Lukas' lips pleased her.

"I'm still not entirely convinced that you're not a pirate. Especially after the way you fought. It was dirty, like you've never received formal training, much less watched a duel fought with proper rules. I've never seen any woman fight like you, not that I've seen women fight. Especially not with a sword. But now that I think about it, you seem to act more and more like a Valkyrie."

Astrid liked that comparison, thinking back to the women on winged horses.

"So maybe, I'll call you something Nordic like Brunnhilda or Sigrun."

Astrid shook her head vehemently.

"Alright, maybe not then," Lukas laughed at her reaction. "I could try and guess alphabetically. Abigail? Adelaide? Alice? Ariel?"

Astrid continued to shake her head. Then softer than a whisper, she heard a voice. Astrid... Astrid... Astrid... Where was it coming from?

"Astrid?"

And suddenly, there was only one voice she wanted to listen to. Lukas said her name. It sounded warm and sweet from his lips. It was like a quiet comfort like lying in the meadow. She touched his hand and nodded.

"Astrid," he said again, now confident that he had it right. "It suits you."

Astrid could feel herself blush. When he said it that time, it was like the thrill of fighting all over again. She wanted him to say it again, to see what other memories and feelings would arise.

They were drifting along now. Their boat had come under the reach of a weeping willow. It's drooping branches and silvery-green leaves created a romantic backdrop. Points of light started surround them as it got darker.

Astrid looked around in awe. Unlike Lukas, she had encountered magic before, but she found there was nothing quite as beautiful or spellbinding as this.

"I don't usually show this place to people," Lukas said. "And I'm not really sure why I'm showing you either. I feel like we share a connection. Like it was fate that you washed up on my shore."

Astrid could hardly take it. If this boy didn't kiss her soon, she really would have to kiss him herself. She really wasn't good at being subtle, so she didn't bother to be. She took his hands, his soft, supple hands, and looked him right in the eyes. Once she knew that he was reading her, she closed her eyes and leaned in slowly, placing one of her hands on his thigh.

And she kissed the water. The little rowboat and overturned somehow, knocking her into the stream. The chaos in the water kicked up mud everywhere. She couldn't see anything. She couldn't see Lukas.

"Astrid!" came a familiar, bell like voice. Tina grabbed hold of Astrid and held her there underwater. "Astrid you've got to listen to me! The witch, she's here! She's got your voice in a shell. I can't reach her from the water, Astrid. She's going to use it. Tonight!"

Astrid had never been so angry in her life. She pushed herself away from Tina. She had ruined everything.

"Please, Astrid, if she uses your voice, we could all be doomed..." Tina gasped and swam away quickly.

Astrid felt herself being jerked up to the surface. She spluttered as she hit the air.

"Okay. Definitely not a pirate," Lukas exasperated. "Any pirate worth their weight knows how to swim. It's a wonder you even made it to shore."

Astrid brushed off the insult. She'd rather focus on the fact that Lukas was holding her tight in his arms. They made their way to dry land, throughly soaked and cold. They wandered for a bit until they found a bar at the edge of town.

Seeing their sorry state, the bar mistress loaned them a change in clothes and let their own clothes dry by the fire. Lukas was already at the bar after Astrid was done changing. He had two empty mugs and was working on his third.

She sat down beside him and heard him sigh. "Are you alright?"

The barkeep gave her a mug of ale. She downed it easily welcoming the warm sensation. She nodded.

"Good. Why you would do that in the first place, I have no idea. It's hard to tell what you're thinking sometimes," he said, taking another sip of beer.

Astrid was confused. She wondered if he was blaming her for the boat overturning. Or if he knew that she was trying to kiss him.

There was a loud bang as the doors to the bar crashed open. There was a scrape of steel as swords were drawn. "Nobody move. Empty all of your pockets." Three burly men forced their way into the bar.

"Bandits. Don't move," Lukas whispered to Astrid.

"I said..." One of the men yanked Lukas from his seat and held the sword to Lukas' throat. "Empty your pockets."

As if on instinct, Astrid shot out of her seat to defend Lukas, but she was held back by the other two men, her arms held together behind her back.

"Ooh, this one's a feisty one. Can we keep her boss? I have a feeling she's going to be a lot of fun tonight. She hasn't even screamed."

Lukas' eyes seethed with an anger Astrid hadn't seen on his face before. He had always seemed so carefree and logical, but not in this instance.

"Let her go. We don't have any money," Lukas said calmly, though his eyes begged to differ.

Astrid eyes quickly scanned the room. The bar mistress who had been kind to them had made it out. The barkeep was cowering someplace out of sight. She looked for anything that could be of use. Over the fireplace she saw a large axe nailed to the wall. That was going to be her best bet.

"Bullshit," Lukas' captor said. "What sort of gentlemen solicits a bar with no money?"

"We could always take him for ransom." The third guys said. "This woman obviously cares about him. I'm sure she or someone else would scrounge up enough money to pay a good price."

"Yes, let her go," Lukas agreed with the suggestion. "Just take me."

But Astrid was having none of that. She tested the commitment of the men holding her by twisting in their grip.

"And is there any promise that you will provide anything better than what the girl here could?" He slid his sword closer to Lukas' skin.

"I am Prince Lukas. You could have the entire treasury as ransom. Just let her go."

"A prince? He doesn't look like a prince."

"How can we tell he's telling the truth? Shouldn't princes have guards or something?" The men argued behind Astrid.

"Obviously the girl's his body guard." The third one joked.

Astrid took this as her chance. She stomped down on one of the assailant's feet. When he was off balance, she threw the other one across the room. The foot guy still held on to her, so she knocked his head into the bar.

"Holy..." The thug gripped Lukas tighter and used him as a shield.

"Astrid, don't! Just get out of here!" Lukas yelled. He attempted to get away, but the man grabbed him easily and grazed the point of the sword along his skin, leaving a pink scratch.

But Astrid could never dream of leaving Lukas, especially now that they had touched him. She made a break for the axe on the wall.

"Someone grab her."

It didn't budge at first, but that wasn't going to stop Astrid. She pushed off from the wall, and after some give, the axe came free. It was heavier than she expected. The blade of it clanked to the ground.

"She'll never be able to wield that. Come on, sweetie, just let it go like a good girl. You wouldn't want your little prince..."

Astrid was far from a good girl, and even good girls have their limits, especially when someone threatened the one they loved. Astrid hefted the axe over her head and swung it down hard on Lukas' captor's arm. She was aiming for his head, but the thug had enough foresight to attempt to get out of the way

Both Lukas and Astrid were sprayed with blood. The hand fell away from Lukas and a look of horror and disbelief filled his eyes.

There were several delayed screams. The thug held his arm close to his chest, dropping his sword to the ground. Astrid started to raise the axe again, not intending to miss.

"Halt!" There were more shouts. A couple of royal guardsmen arrived at the scene and quickly assessed the situation. They drew their swords and aimed them at Astrid.

"No! Stop! She was just trying to protect me," Lukas intervened, standing between her and the injured man.

"Prince Lukas..." The royal guards kneeled and pointed their swords to the ground.

"Astrid, please drop the axe. That's not needed anymore."

But Astrid's heart was still racing. She wanted blood. She wanted justice. These men needed to pay.

"Arrest these three and make sure this one sees a doctor," Lukas ordered. "I'll take care of her."

"Astrid..." He said tentively. "I know you only did what you had to do to protect me. It's okay. We're both safe now."

Astrid dropped the weapon and embraced the prince. He was whole and safe which was enough. Lukas hugged her back, taking in a deep breath.

"Your highness, we must return to the castle," one of the guards said.

"Hold on," he said. He held onto Astrid for a moment more and said, "Let's go."

* * *

They made it back to the castle straightaway. As soon as they entered the premises, Prince Lukas as was being fussed over. Rumors of him being kidnapped had long reached the castle. Before she knew it, Lukas had been escorted away to get cleaned up.

As a secondary thought, Astrid was sent the other direction to get cleaned up as well. She didn't make it far before she was stopped by Prince Emil.

"I don't trust you," he said. "I have no idea why my brother has an interest with you and insists on keeping up you here. You're a stranger and don't belong." He stared daggers into Astrid. "But I can't hate you. You put yourself at risk to protect my brother even though any sane person would have run away. I don't care what your motives were. Thank you."

Astrid was surprisingly touched. She wrapped up Lukas' younger brother into a hug feeling very touchy-feely after the events.

"Ugh, gross. Get off. You're getting blood all over me," Emil complained

Astrid was dragged all over the castle. She was finally clean and was making her own way back to her room. Out of nowhere she was grabbed and pulled into a secret nook. She blinked in surpise to find herself nose to nose with Lukas.

"I'm pretty sure you're crazy." He was breathing heavily. "You...are the single most unexpected woman I've ever met. I can never pin down what you actually want from me. But the more time I spend with you, the more fascinating you are to me. And it's killing me. I can't understand why. I can't believe you just washed up here. Why are you here? Is it because I'm the prince?"

Astrid, of course, answer his questions. But she was sure now. Surer of anything in her life. She held his face in her hands and closed what little distance there was between them. She kissed the prince, pressing his surprised soft lips against hers. She stayed there for a moment, blissful until realization struck. He wasn't kissing her back.

She broke it off suddenly. She had been so happy, but now she was devastated. He hadn't kissed her back. She knew that meant he wasn't in love. Her instinct had been wrong. She was embarassed. She was heart broken.

Lukas stood there dumbstruck as Astrid started to cry. If he was confused, before he was definitely confused now.

"Astrid..." Lukas started to say, but it was too late. She ran off.

He tried to reason through the events. She kissed him. And then she cried. The only conclusion he could draw was that the trauma of the day was starting to catch up with her. But to him, this just wasn't adding up. It was as if he was missing something major.

"Your highness..."

At this point, Prince Lukas was just wandering around the castle, weighing every exchange of his and Astrid's interactions to draw some sort of rational conclusion. "Yes?" he said, still distracted.

"Sir, there's been an incident. The village is in chaos."

"Chaos?" Lukas felt like the world wasn't making sense anymore. "More bandits?"

"No, your highness. You're never going to believe this. It's a witch."

Lukas never thought his research would come to fruition like this. He wasn't quite sure he could handle much more excitement, but he was going to get to the bottom of this. "Capture her and bring her here," he ordered.

"But sir, there's one more problem," the guard said. "She's singing."


End file.
